German Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) reports thar each year, more than 500,000 metric tons of end-of-life tires are generated in Germany. Tires that can no longer be repaired, regrooved, or retreaded are ideally directed toward climate-friendly recovery pathways—preferably mechanical recycling, followed by chemical recycling where appropriate. A new film released by the Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) clearly illustrates how tire pyrolysis plays a key role in avoiding waste, keeping valuable raw materials in circulation, and sustainably substituting fossil resources.

Video by AZuR.

From Waste to Resource: Making Tire Pyrolysis Understandable

End-of-life tires generated in Germany and across Europe are processed by AZuR partners within the region, ensuring short transport routes and resilient supply chains. In modern, high-efficiency pyrolysis plants, shredded and granulated tire rubber is thermochemically decomposed at temperatures between 500 and 700 degrees Celsius in an oxygen-free environment.

This process produces pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, and a solid carbon residue that is refined into recovered carbon black (rCB). The pyrolysis gas can be used as an energy source, making the overall process largely energy self-sufficient.

The condensable gas fraction is recovered as pyrolysis oil, enabling a significant portion of the carbon contained in tire polymers to be reclaimed. This oil is used by the chemical industry as a substitute for fossil carbon and can be processed in conventional C4 crackers, using a mass-balance approach, to produce monomers and other chemical building blocks.

Recovered Carbon Black as a Low-Carbon Alternative

Recovered carbon black allows the industrial carbon black originally used in tires to be reclaimed and reused. After being milled to a fine, uniform particle size and pelletized, rCB becomes a climate-friendly alternative to fossil-based carbon black. In tire manufacturing, it can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 80 percent compared with virgin material.

Beyond tire production, recovered carbon black is a valuable secondary raw material for a wide range of applications, including rubber flooring, seals, conveyor belts, paints and coatings, sports equipment, and textiles. Depending on the application, rCB can replace up to 100 percent of fossil-based industrial carbon black.

Pyrolysis Turns Tire Waste into Strategic Secondary Raw Materials

Through pyrolysis, natural and synthetic rubber as well as fossil fillers contained in tires are converted into new resources in an environmentally responsible manner—an essential step toward a functional circular economy. From a single tire, approximately 2.5 liters of pyrolysis oil and 3.5 kilograms of recovered carbon black can be produced.

An increasing number of industrial companies in Germany and across Europe are already using pyrolysis oil and recovered carbon black to replace fossil resources, conserve raw materials, and reduce CO₂ emissions. These products represent a tangible shift toward a true circular economy, where rubber and carbon from end-of-life tires are returned to the value chain instead of being incinerated.

Tire Pyrolysis as a Bridge to Circular Economy

The AZuR film emphasizes that tire pyrolysis is not the end of the road, but a new beginning. Rubber and carbon remain in circulation and continue to deliver value, supporting the transition from a linear economic model to a circular one. Through education and transparency, AZuR aims to raise awareness of tire pyrolysis as a climate-friendly recycling technology among industry stakeholders, policymakers, and the general public.

Tire pyrolysis stands as a clear example of innovative circular economy solutions. AZuR calls on industry, government, and society to take responsibility for a resource-efficient future—one that protects the environment, supports future generations, and safeguards the planet.

About the Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR)

Since 2020, the Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) has been working across Europe to establish a sustainable tire circular economy. The goal is to reuse or recycle used tires as close to 100 percent as possible, reducing waste, lowering CO₂ emissions, conserving natural resources, and protecting people and the environment.

More than 80 AZuR partners from industry, small and medium-sized enterprises, trade, and academia cover the entire tire value chain—from sustainable new tire manufacturing and certified tire collection to repair, regrooving, retreading, and both mechanical and chemical recycling of tire materials.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration, AZuR develops practical and economically viable solutions for a sustainable tire circular economy. Universities within the AZuR network play a critical role by providing scientifically grounded research and studies that help close material loops.

AZuR has received multiple awards for its work, including the NRW Resource Efficiency Award for Cooperation in 2025 and the German Sustainability Projects Award 2025. Network coordinator Christina Guth was honored with the Recircle Award 2025 in the Women’s Award for the Tire Retreading Sector category.

More information about AZuR is available at: https://azur-netzwerk.de.