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The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) – Canadian end-of-life tire management authority – has recently posted the 2022 Annual Report. In 2022 RPRA focused on scaling up its producer responsibility programs, developing registry portals, and launching new compliance and digital reporting programs, all of which are central to RPRA’s mandate. 2022 was the fourth year of operations for the Tires Program under Ontario’s producer responsibility regulatory framework outlined in the Tires Regulation.

Bridgestone Corporation recently announced that it has commenced the production of tire derived oil and recovered carbon black through pyrolysis of used tires using test units installed at Bridgestone Innovation Park in Kodaira City, Tokyo. This initiative is aimed at promoting the social implementation of chemical recycling technologies that enable precise pyrolysis of used tires. The scope of this initiative is indicated by the red frame in the chemical recycling diagram below. This project is one of two R&D projects that are part of an initiative for developing chemical product manufacturing technologies utilizing used tires promoted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan

Contec S.A. – a company that specializes in producing sustainable raw materials by upcycling end-of-life tires – has successfully secured a total of EUR 15 million in funding this year. The largest Polish manufacturer of steel roofing and facades – Pruszyński – has contributed an additional EUR 5 million to the funds already provided by VINCI and the Warsaw Equity Group. These two entities had initially invested EUR 10 million in Contec back in March 2023. The investment will be used to triple the capacity of Contec’s current facility in Szczecin, Poland, and to position the company for the construction of several new commercial plants across Europe. This will support Contec's mission to accelerate the transformation of the manufacturing industry toward carbon neutrality.

According to the latest press release by Audi Hungaria Zrt., as a result of the company’s collaboration with New Energy Kft., from now on, tire waste generated at the site of Audi Hungaria in Győr will be chemically recycled, thereby avoiding the release of microplastics and the hazardous substances that leach from them into the environment during recovery. The process used for this is pyrolysis, in which tire waste is chemically converted into oil. The oil produced is used by petrochemical companies to produce new plastics, while the resulting recovered carbon black (rCB) is utilized in tire production. The gases produced during pyrolysis are used to generate the high temperatures needed for the process.

When end-of-life tires reach the end of their life cycle, they become hazardous for the environment and human health if they are dumped in landfills. Made of synthetic rubber, chemicals, and additives, these tires contaminate water and land, pose a high risk of fire, generate harmful gases when burned, and serve as breeding grounds for insect-borne epidemics. These concerns are particularly relevant in Mexico, where an estimated 32 million tires are discarded annually, equivalent to one tire per second. Unfortunately, only 12% of these tires are recycled, with the majority ending up in landfills.

The 2009/28/EC directive, officially known as the "Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources," is a significant European Union directive adopted on April 23, 2009. It has the primary goal of fostering the utilization of renewable energy sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions within the European Union, and decreasing reliance on energy imports. Each member state is required to adhere to specific targets for the share of renewable energy in their overall energy consumption. In 2018, the directive was revised and updated through the Renewable Energy Directive 2018 (2018/2001). It solidified the binding national targets for renewable energy in gross final energy consumption and established a unified framework for promoting energy from renewable sources. This framework includes the implementation of support schemes, guarantees of origin, and streamlined administrative procedures.

Birla Carbon – one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of high-quality carbon black solutions – has recently received the ISCC PLUS certification for its plant in Italy. The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) is a voluntary scheme that is applicable for the bioeconomy and circular economy for various sectors. All kinds of biomass, waste and residues, non-biological renewables, and recycled carbon materials can be certified under ISCC PLUS. This globally recognized certification is in line with Birla Carbon’s aspiration to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the successful introduction of ContinuaTM Sustainable Carbonaceous Material (SCM).

Wastefront AS has announced a significant partnership with Weber & Schaer, one of Europe's largest distributors of rubber industry products, for the offtake and on-sale of their Recovered Carbon Black (rCB). According to Wastefront, this agreement secures a fully circular supply chain for end-of-life tires (ELTs) in the UK. The deal initially covers a minimum of 35% of rCB produced at Wastefront's Sunderland plant, with potential for future expansion. By manufacturing renewable fuels and new tires using ELTs and rCB, Wastefront moves closer to its goal of creating a Green Global Industrial Platform. With Weber & Schaer's expertise in rubber, carbon black, plastic, and adhesives distribution across Europe, Wastefront's ELT solution contributes to the global circular economy while expanding into new markets.

Zeppelin Systems GmbH, a leading supplier of plant engineering and process technology for the chemical and plastics industries, has recently formed the Sustainable Tire Alliance, a new platform of businesses in the tire recycling sector with different technologies that can work together to improve tire recycling. The alliance includes Regom, Recykl, Entex, Reoil, Evonik, Rubberjet Valley, and RCB Nanotechnologies. The goal of the alliance is to close the loop of secondary raw materials and make a sustainable contribution to the circular economy. The alliance aims to provide high-quality recyclates in sufficient quantities to meet the needs of tire manufacturers.