“Product Stewardship” focuses on the entire life cycle of a product. The product life cycle embraces the raw material, product development, production, use, and recovery/recycling. Product stewardship is based on the shared responsibility between manufacturer and customer: Continental is responsible for development and manufacture in line with best practices so as to minimize damage to the environment and health, while the customer is responsible for the appropriate and conscientious use of the product until its exhaustion and for minimizing risks. Higher-level objectives are environmental protection, the protection of health, and the ongoing optimization of material development in the relevant product life stage.