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Researchers at the University of Vienna's Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Sciences have now demonstrated that chemicals released from tires do, in fact, enter the food stream and may be consumed along with Quinone 6PPD which was defined as a toxin that impacts Coho Salmon. Their examinations of the impacts of contaminants from tire wear on lettuce revealed that: The lettuce absorbed all the chemicals investigated, some of which were quite hazardous. It will take further research to determine how this mechanism truly occurs in arable soils. An international publication called Environmental Science & Technology has officially published the report.

European Commission asks the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to assess potential risks in playgrounds. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in synthetic turf infill materials will be reviewed for potential risks by ECHA. The European Commission (EC) ordered the agency to analyze any dangers to children in a letter dated January 6 to ECHA executive director Sharon McGuinness. The study's scope includes loose mulches and granulated PAHs used in playgrounds, gardens and landscaping. According to the EC, the assessment's goal is to determine if the respective applicable concentration limits for eight PAHs found in infill materials are effective.

In its latest press release, EuRIC reported that Europe’s recycling industries expressed dismay at the European Parliament’s adoption of current waste shipment proposals citing major inconsistencies undermining the trade of recycled materials. While the establishment of mandatory recycled content targets for plastics should be applauded, the failure to consider targets for metals and paper is a significant omission that will erode demand and subsequently green investment in new and upscaled recycling facilities in Europe. However, European recyclers were encouraged by the European Parliament’s support of existing proposals that facilitate the export of recycled materials within the EU, such as establishing English as the common language or extended time limits for receiving shipments.

The 28th Annual ETRA Conference on Tyre Recycling will take place Wednesday through Friday, 29 - 31 March 2023 at Le Louise Hotel in Brussels. Influential and informative as always it is the unrivalled ‘one-stop’ shop for all those seeking the latest insights into the worldwide business of tyre recycling. With its focus on providing insights into every aspect of the ever more important subject of used tyre management no other single event comes close to delivering essential insights into our future as an industry with its many conference sessions, exhibitions networking and social opportunities.

Recycling companies warn that proposed EU regulations could result in the export of millions of tires for disposal or incineration. The European Recycling Industries' Confederation (EuRIC) charged that the European Commission's draft legislation, which would essentially ban the addition of rubber granules made from recycled tyres to AstroTurf sport fields, was in direct opposition to the Commission's own circular economy agenda.

Genan – one of the largest end-of-life tire recycling companies in the world – reports that the political discussion about the use of rubber granulate in artificial turf pitches has now been launched by the EU Commission. In its recent article, Genan informs that different committees under the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have been asked to provide their assessments during the process leading up to the Commission recommendation. These committees include the Risk Assessment Committee (RAC), which recommends a total ban on the use of rubber granulate with a 6-year phase-in period, and the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC), which in addition to the ban proposes the alternative of installing Risk Management Measures (RMM) on pitches to prevent spreading.

Episode 39 of the Tyre Recycling Podcast run by Ewan Scott – chief editor of Tyre and Rubber Recycling magazine – is devoted to the EU's proposed ban on crumb rubber in synthetic turf fields. The guest of the Podcast is Poul Steen Rasmussen, Chair of the Mechanical Tyre Recovery Group at EuRIC. In this podcast, Poul Steen Rasmussen tells about the proposed ban and what it means for the tyre recycling sector and the environment.

An online magazine sportsfields.info focused on technology and business aspects of synthetic turf fields recently published an article criticising EU's decision to ban crumb rubber infill in artificial turf. Indeed, this month's announcement by the European Commission that it will recommend a ban on the sale of polymeric infill within six years and ignore the difference so-called risk management measures can make, has been met with disbelief and outright anger by some organisations in the industry.

Tyre and Road Wear Particles (TRWP) are tiny debris which are formed during normal driving conditions from the friction between the tyre and the road necessary to ensure sufficient grip and safety. Because of their size and composition, these particles are commonly associated with microplastics; yet the generation of TRWP is influenced by a variety of external factors including, but not limited to, tyre design, such as vehicle characteristics, road surface, weather, road topology and driving behaviour.