The renowned in the tire recycling industry British magazine Tyre & Rubber Recycling, its Chief Editor Ewan Scott and a correspondent Richard Wilson, run a podcast exposing interesting topics and announcing updates to the tire recycling and pyrolysis industries. In the Tyre Recycling Podcast, Ewan Scott interviews key players from the tire recycling and pyrolysis industry from around the world. Make sure to subscribe for Tyre & Rubber Recycling magazine to receive updates about its interviews!

South Africa announced its Industry Tyre Waste Management Plan (ITWMP) in April 2024. In Episode 61, Tyre and Rubber recycling interviewed the two leading tyre recyclers in South Africa - Dr Megran Zarrebini from The Mathe Group and Oscar Filen from XTYRE SA to hear their views on the new stewardship scheme.

Dr. Mehran Zarrebini, CEO of The Mathe Group featured in Tyre Recycling Podcast. | Video by Tyre & Rubber Recycling magazine.

Interview chapters:

  • 00:12 – Introduction
  • 00:38 – We talk to two of South Africa’s leading tyre recyclers
  • 01:13 – ITWMP question to Dr Zarrebini
  • 01:37 – Dr Zarrebini responds
  • 02:05 – Renewed hope for the Mathe Group
  • 02:37 – Continuity of supply is important
  • 03:10 – Improved long term certainty
  • 03:57 – Will the plan address logistics issues?
  • 04:25 – Zarrebini explains the logistics issues
  • 05:59 – Will the plan create opportunities?
  • 06:25 – ITWMP is impacted by energy and water supply issues
  • 07:46 – Delays at ports for exports
  • 08:47 – Need to look at the wider issues
  • 09:41 – ITWMP cannot be a stand alone project
  • 10:20 – Introduction to Xtyre’s Oscar Filen and how the ITWMP impacts Xtyre
  • 10:47 – Oscar Filen responds
  • 11:06 – 51% Black ownership under PDI rules
  • 11:37 – JV with an African entrepreneur for the moulding plant
  • 12:01 – Fees were introduced as a recycling levy, but have been considered a Tyre Tax by the government
  • 12:52 – Discussions with CISR
  • 14:00 – The previous plan had figures, we now have percentages
  • 15:07 – The ITWMP sounds wonderful but…
  • 15:07 – Double counting of logistics may be an issue
  • 16:26 – Issues of safe storage are not considered
  • 17:25 – Does South Africa have the capacity to recycle 300,000tpa?
  • 17:52 – ITWMP could help build capacity
  • 18:19 – ITWMP forces the hand of the private sector
  • 19:35 – Summary on ITWMP

To watch other episodes of Tyre Recycling Podcast, make sure to subscribe for Tyre and Rubber Recycling magazine!