British recycling innovator Big Atom is celebrating a receiving a £350,000 grant from Innovate UK, which is to help the company further advance in end-of-life tire recycling.

The tire recycling company, which, reportedly, boasts the North West’s second largest tire recycling plant, has been given the cash injection to develop its patented chemical reactor technology, which will convert old waste tires into new materials.

Company founder, Alexander Guslisty, said that the grant would enable the business to develop the concept of a novel pyrolysis reactor with improved temperature control and efficiencies to create an even more sustainable regeneration process for polymers.

Alexander said: “We already recycle tires and have just processed our one millionth, but this Innovate UK grant will accelerate our tech development and bring us closer to create circular economy for polymers – thus ending the concept of polymer waste.”

“It is a huge breakthrough and will open up new opportunities that will accelerate our IP and pathway to commercialization. What’s more, the process will be good for the environment and support our ultimate goal of bringing an end to waste materials.”

In its recent press release, Big Atom says it will continue to shred and granulate tires providing the feedstock to the pyrolysis reactor to convert them into oil, gas, and recovered carbon black that can be used again and again.

Mr. Guslisty added: “We will be able to generate higher yields of valuable products compared to existing reactors and ultimately, we’ll be able to produce a more stable and desirable product for refineries to use as their feed.”

“There continues to be a problem with waste traveling thousands of miles on ships which we don’t have control over. This grant puts us a step closer to solving this problem through our closed loop recycling process,” he added.

Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realize the potential of new ideas. The organization connects businesses to the partners, customers and investors that can help them turn ideas into commercially successful products and services and business growth.

Original press release: Big Atom.