After a break, the TRAC Rubber Recycling Symposium returned to its biennial schedule with an October conference in Nova Scotia. TRAC's President and CEO, Carol Hochu, emphasized the collective journey toward sustainability as the central theme of the event.

Hosted by Divert NS in Nova Scotia, the symposium delved into sustainability rather than mere recycling, with Divert NS CEO Stacy Breau spotlighting the province's successful stewardship program boasting an 88.5% recovery rate. The recovered material finds application in road construction and engineering projects, with the aim to shift from recycling to a waste reduction approach.

The symposium's first day honed in on Stewardship and Extended Producer Responsibility, exploring diverse Canadian solutions tailored to each province's specific needs. Fredrick Ardefors presented the Swedish model, emphasizing SDAB's market control. Lina Goodman discussed Australia's challenges with a voluntary stewardship scheme, while John Sheerin examined the free market approach in the USA. Legislative discussions covered the replacement of 6PPD, identified as environmentally harmful, and the European ban on crumb rubber infill, with insights from USTMA's Jamie McNutt and ETRMA's Alex Van Gelgeren.

The symposium also addressed sustainability in tire manufacturing and explored market development opportunities for End-of-Life Tires (ELT).

The event's concluding CEO Panel featured Barry Takalou from CRM, Emmie Leung from Emterra, and Paul Downey from Pliteq. They shared perspectives on industry markets, opportunities, challenges, and strategies for integrating into the Circular Economy solution.

For more detailed insights, proceed to the TRAC website.