Prism Worldwide, a clean-tech company that transforms end-of-life tire rubber and plastic waste into high-performance circular polymers, announced a trio of groundbreaking innovations poised to transform the recycling and sustainable materials industries. The company has made key advancements in odor reduction, sustainable thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) development, and high-content Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) reuse, three challenges long considered barriers to wider adoption of recycled materials in consumer and industrial products.

All of Prism’s American-made materials are developed using non-capital-intensive processes that deliver lower costs compared to virgin materials, an especially relevant advantage in light of tariff uncertainties and the growing emphasis on domestic sourcing. This enables customers to achieve sustainability goals without increased cost, a particularly appealing value proposition in the industry.

“This is a turning point for end-of-life tire recycling and sustainable polymer development,” said Bob Abramowitz, CEO, Prism Worldwide. “These are not incremental improvements. We’ve tackled odor, cost, and performance, three of the biggest barriers to more widespread adoption of recycled materials, and overcome them all with commercially viable solutions. Our team’s diligence in developing solutions that solve these challenges allows us to deliver cost-effective, high-performance materials without requiring customers to pay a green premium. Companies pay lip service to sustainability values, but they change their tune when it costs more. We are creating additional profit opportunities while helping them to meet corporate sustainability objectives.”

Today, customers can use Prism materials without changing the manufacturing process. These step changes introduce new ways to use up to 50% of recycled end-of-life tire materials in injection or rotational molding and extruding, a significant increase from what was previously possible. This opens new processes that were formerly limited to compression molding and enables companies to offer products such as gym mats and automotive interiors that are made using recycled materials but no longer produce unpleasant odors, a key customer benefit.

Three Breakthroughs, One Industry Shift

Prism’s new technology suite includes:

  • Odor-Reduced Tire Materials: Prism’s proprietary odor-reduction process resolves one of the most persistent issues in rubber recycling. Historically, strong and lingering odors have limited the use of recycled tire materials in indoor environments. Now, thanks to the company’s innovation, validated in an independent lab to automotive-grade odor panel testing and VOC requirements, its materials meet the requirements for automotive interiors, consumer products, building materials, and other odor-sensitive applications.
  • Sustainable TPV from End-of-Life Tires: In an industry first, Prism has developed a patent-pending sustainable TPV where the rubber portion is derived from end-of-life tire materials. Prism’s technology will allow TPV manufacturers to offer sustainable solutions in extremely valuable polymers.
  • High-Content Recycled EPDM: EPDM rubber is widely used in automotive weatherstripping and gaskets, roofing, and industrial applications, but it is difficult to recycle because it is crosslinked. Prism’s patent-pending devulcanization process makes it possible to reuse EPDM at high content levels while delivering on key physical performance properties. This not only reduces material costs, but also significantly improves the sustainability profile of industries that rely on EPDM.

With these breakthroughs, Prism is setting a new standard for what recycled materials can achieve. By solving problems that have limited adoption for decades, the company is making sustainability practical, profitable, and scalable.

Press release by Prism Worldwide.