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BIR Copenhagen 2024: pyrolysis gains momentum as a sustainable solution for end-of-life tyres
In a relatively short period of time, pyrolysis has evolved from having “a very bad reputation” to becoming “a real solution” for end-of-life tyres (ELTs) through its increasingly sophisticated delivery of a range of highly sustainable raw materials, declared Robert Weibold in his opening remarks to the BIR Tyres & Rubber Committee session in Copenhagen on May 28. Figures provided by the Managing Director of Austria-based tyre recycling and pyrolysis consultancy Robert Weibold GmbH indicated that annual global production of tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO), untreated char, and milled and pelletized recovered carbon black (rCB) currently amounted to, respectively, 1.7 million tons, 1.2 million tons and 180,000 tons from a tyre feedstock of 4.5 million tons.