News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Apollo Tyres, the international tire manufacturer, is readying itself for sustainable mobility solutions. The company has now developed passenger vehicle tires with 75% sustainable materials. Apollo’s new sustainable product comprises many featured compounding ingredients in different components of the tires, including bio-based and recycled materials. The sustainable natural rubber, used in these tires, have been sourced from suppliers who have public commitments to sourcing and/or traceable to specific plantations, in accordance with the company’s sustainable natural rubber policy.

To create a custom tire for the brand-new concept car, the Lancia Pu+Ra HPE, Goodyear was chosen as the supplier of choice. Customization, aerodynamics, and design are at the core of the most recent partnership between Goodyear and the revived Lancia brand. Lancia Concept is the first vehicle of the new Lancia era, a 100% electric concept car that represents the vision of the brand in terms of design, interior home feeling, sustainability, electrification and technology.

The German engineering and trading company Waste Desorp GmbH of Bad-Malente and the Polish MetalERG sp.z.o.o spk of Olawa have entered into a cooperation for the joint production of compete turnkey pyrolysis systems. This laid the foundations for the establishment of the first European company for the supply of complete pyrolysis systems, which, according to Waste Desorp GmbH, guarantees the customers high quality production standards and compliance with local environmental protection measures. The company's services range from customer advice, the layout and design of the systems to the construction and delivery of the complete pyrolysis plants, including assembly, training, service and spare parts supply.

According to CBC News, Ontario’s Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority (RPRA), which oversees recycling in the province, may soon impose fines of $200,000 or more on the province's tire manufacturers. According to the agency, the five companies in Ontario that collect and recycle end-of-life tires are all not in compliance with provincial legislation. The orders allege that throughout the province, the industry is not providing enough sites that collect used tires.

Gradeall – a manufacturer of innovative tire baling and recycling equipment from Nothern Ireland – have been increasingly exporting their range of tire balers, shredders and conveyors to tire recycling operations based throughout the U.S. The United States is one of the largest contributors of waste tires, with over 279 million scrap tires generated annually. Given the negative environmental impact that scrap tires can cause, there is a global push to combat this problem and develop more appropriate waste tire management solutions.

TNU (Tratamiento Neumáticos Usados) – a Spanish EPR agency for end-of-life tires – collaborated with more than 100 volunteers in cleaning of an old iron mine in the Sierra de Enmedio area (Murcia) from March 10 to 12. The activity was organized by the Resaltes de Murcia Caving Club and the Almendricos Cultural Association (Acual), in collaboration with the Lorca City Council, Norauto, TNU and the Murcia Region Caving Federation.

Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) announced that it has produced a run of demonstration tires made with 75% recycled and renewable materials, including synthetic rubber made with recycled plastics and natural rubber harvested from desert shrubs grown domestically, in the Arizona desert. The company has completed production of 200 demonstration tires and is pursuing joint evaluation with automakers for use on the next generation of electrified SUVs and crossovers (CUVs). The company’s relentless commitment to its goal of using 100% sustainable materials in its products by 2050 was underscored in remarks by Bridgestone Global CEO, Shuichi Ishibashi, during a February 16 briefing with media and industry analysts in Tokyo where Bridgestone also announced that it is pursuing a tire design utilizing 90% recycled and renewable materials for passenger cars.

Ecore International – a converter of reclaimed tire rubber in North America – has announced the acquisition of 360 Tire Recycling Group, a tire recycling management company. This strategic partnership enhances Ecore's position in the collecting of tires and buffings while assisting in the sourcing of raw materials for the business's cutting-edge flooring and surfacing solutions. Additionally, it positions Ecore and 360 Tire Recycling Group as pioneers in the global transition to a circular rubber economy. “360 Tire’s commitment to providing an environmentally responsible, one-stop recycling effort for its customers aligns perfectly with Ecore’s vision of a planet free of rubber waste,” said Art Dodge, CEO of Ecore.

The use of Recovered carbon black from end-of-life tires and plastic pyrolysis has caused fluctuations in price and demand in the Masterbatch market. From the beginning of 2023, the Masterbatch market in Asia, especially in India and China, has experienced fluctuating pricing trends from the beginning of 2023. Due to decreasing demand from downstream industries like electronics, packaging, and rubber, the pricing trend for Masterbatch in the local Indian market has been bearish. Black Masterbatch (40% carbon black) cost $1977 per ton in India in January 2023 but fell to $1770 per ton in February 2023, a 10.5% decrease. Due to declining naphtha and coal prices in the domestic Indian market, prices decreased further by 6.9% to $1648 per ton in March 2023.