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Continental has begun integrating recovered carbon black into selected conveyor belt compounds at its North American plants as part of efforts to reduce reliance on fossil-based raw materials and increase circular material use in industrial rubber products. The company is sourcing rCB from Bolder Industries, which produces the material from end-of-life, post-consumer and post-industrial rubber, including discarded tires, through thermal pyrolysis. Continental says approximately 157,000 pounds of recovered carbon black were used in its North American conveyor belt production over the past 12 months, replacing a portion of virgin carbon black and avoiding an estimated 487 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions. Production trials have also indicated that the rCB-containing compounds can maintain comparable material costs, processing characteristics and performance, supporting the potential for recovered carbon black from tire recycling and other rubber waste streams to enter demanding industrial applications at commercial scale.

Stratton Kirton of Liberty Tire Recycling said the US tire recycling sector was originally focused on dismantling large tire piles that had accumulated across the country. According to the article, after more than 50 million tires remained in stockpiles as recently as 1990, much of the industry’s work shifted toward processing end-of-life tires and finding uses for recycled rubber. Liberty Tire Recycling has since grown into one of the most prominent companies in the sector, with the article stating that it was founded in 2000 and now has more than 50 million tires from around 15,000 retail locations across North America reaching the company’s recycling network each year.

The interview presents Pirelli’s strategy as one focused on premium tire performance, motorsport-driven innovation, close collaboration with automotive manufacturers and the integration of new technologies such as Cyber Tyre. Bedia also highlighted the company’s work on circular economy initiatives, including the recovery and reuse of carbon black from end-of-life tires through cooperation with Bolder Industries. The discussion reflects broader changes across the tire value chain, where tire recycling, recovered carbon black, sustainable raw materials and connected mobility are becoming increasingly important to manufacturers, consumers and industry associations.

The Symposium will bring together industry professionals from across the tire recycling, carbon black, rubber, and polymer value chains for three days of technical presentations, networking, and discussions focused on the latest developments in rCB production, testing, applications, and market opportunities.

The facility is co-funded by the European Union's Innovation Fund — one of the world's largest programs for demonstrating innovative low-carbon technologies, financed through EU Emissions Trading System revenues and managed by CINEA — and supported by equity investment from Tiger Infrastructure Partners. The Innovation Fund backs flagship initiatives that deliver significant greenhouse gas reductions across energy-intensive industries. This facility directly fulfills that mandate, demonstrating how industrial manufacturing can reduce emissions at scale by replacing fossil fuel-derived virgin carbon black with sustainable, mass-balanced, traceable alternatives.

The facility is also expected to generate approximately 21,000 tonnes annually of tire-derived oil through the company's pyrolysis process.

The Washington-based United States Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) has announced that its president and CEO Anne Forristall Luke will retire at the end of this year after leading the association for 11 years.

Pirelli North America kicked off the first closed loop circular recycling initiative within Pirelli as part of its broader strategy to increase the use of recycled and bio-based materials in its products. The project has been recognized with Tire Recycling Foundation’s Value Chain Collaboration Award.

Robert Weibold – the founder a tyre recycling and pyrolysis consulting company Weibold – was interviewed by the Rubber Review magazine this February. Below, we cite Issue 33 of the Rubber Review magazine (February 16-22) featuring the interview.