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Austroads – the collective of the Australian and New Zealand transport agencies, representing all levels of government – has published the results of research which proposes a specification for the use of a binder containing crumb rubber from recycled tires in the construction of asphalt pavements. Ross Guppy, Austroads Transport Infrastructure Program Manager says there has been an increased focus on using sustainable and recycled materials for road construction and maintenance. “Crumb rubber is predominantly obtained from vehicle tires. Every year Australia and New Zealand produce more than 510,000 tonnes of end‑of‑life tires.

An innovative bitumen that contains recycled rubber retrieved from end-of-life tires has been used to create around 3,000 square meters of asphalt in Italy. It is believed that this surfacing will significantly reduce the noise of passing vehicles. The General Manager of Ecopneus Federico Dossena stressed that the organization is committed to the idea of spreading the innovative road solution. He called paving with modified asphalts ´a valid strategic choice for the national and urban road network´.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) recently announced it would fund innovative ideas that utilize end-of-life tires. According to the organization’s recent press release, TSA has dedicated a special budget for funding such projects. The organization also says TSA’s Market Development Fund is now open for applications. The scope is broad; from research grants to funding prototypes, projects and initiatives, the goal is to transform passenger and truck tires into new and innovative markets.

Southampton City Council, and highways partner Balfour Beatty Living Places, are pioneering the use of Rubber Modified Asphalt to reduce the environmental impact of highways maintenance activities. Southampton City Council recently approved an additional £10m investment to resurface residential roads and pavements across the city – boosting investment to a record £22 million over the next two years. As part of this program the council and its highways partner, Balfour Beatty Living Places, is pioneering a new method for resurfacing which puts waste rubber that would have otherwise ended up in landfill to good use.

The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA), in partnership with the University of Missouri and The Ray, a nonprofit proving ground for sustainable transportation technologies, published this July a state of knowledge report that assessed existing research on the economic, performance and environmental benefits of using ground tire rubber (GTR) in asphalt. The report finds that rubber modified asphalt is a resilient pavement solution to rebuild America’s roadways and a promising sustainable and circular end-of-life market for scrap tires. The report also provides recommendations for additional research to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the technology’s impact.

MOL and Tatneft, one of the largest oil and gas companies in Russia, have solemnly launched a joint project for a rubber bitumen plant in the Republic of Tatarstan. According to MOL, the project partly involves end-of-life recycling. The companies have also agreed to establish a joint venture that, besides manufacturing and selling rubber bitumen, will also be authorized to market MOL's technology license in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The investment is partly financed by the HEPA Hungarian Export Promotion Agency tender funding.

The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) and the Ray and University of Missouri welcome all interested parties to a webinar to discuss the findings from a joint research project on the performance, environmental impacts and benefits of rubber modified asphalt and its growing potential to enhance the life and performance of U.S. infrastructure. The webinar will be held at 11 am Eastern Time on July 22, 2021 Register to learn more about the benefits of using ground rubber made from scrap tires in asphalt and the further research needed on this promising solution for roads and highways across the country.

Tyre Stewardship Australia – an end-of-life-tire management authority in Australia – reports that it partnered with Puma Bitumen for crumb rubber ‘game changer’ for Australian roads sector. The equivalent of more than a million used car iyres can now be recycled to make high quality crumb rubber bitumen for Australian roads in a ‘game changing’ partnership between Puma Bitumen and Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA). Through two significant equipment investments – partly funded by TSA – Puma Bitumen has dramatically expanded its manufacturing capacity and widened the range of crumb rubber technology for both sprayed seals and asphalt currently available in Australia.

Now that Australia’s first crumb rubber bitumen blending plant opened, more end-of-life tires will be used to manufacture useful value-added products, like durable rubberized asphalt, rubberized bitumen blends, rubber coatings, etc. Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) reports that world-leading equipment specifically designed for blending crumbed rubber and bitumen has been installed and commissioned for the first time in Australia by construction giant Fulton Hogan in partnership with Tyre Stewardship Australia.