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The German AZuR (Allianz Zukunft Reifen – “German Tyre Future”) – an organization engaging in the design of end-of-life tire management practices – has initiated a study on end-of-life tires in the country. From retreading to tire pyrolysis, the research by AZuR will examine at different components of end-of-life tire value chain, including tire collection and recycling. The goal is to discover the actual facts pertaining to the reality of waste tire management.

124 associations, representatives, universities, and companies in the tire recycling industry from across Europe support the AZuR Resolution for securing the future of used tire recycling. To ensure the future of environmentally responsible used tire recycling in Europe, the Alliance Future Tires (AZuR) has drafted a resolution directed at European policymakers. The widely recognized resolution calls for all tires used within the European Union to be recycled or repurposed within the EU.

One of the milestones of the new year for AZuR is the establishment of a new, interdisciplinary project group. The fourth AZuR project group, initially consisting of 11 partners under the leadership of Martin von Wolfersdorff, aims to generate fresh ideas for the chemical recycling of used tires. Interdisciplinary AZuR project groups are intended to advance innovative recycling methods for used tires. Currently, there are already project groups focusing on retreading, material recycling of used tires, and rubberized asphalt. The composition of these groups, with partners from industry, trade, and academia, is chosen to incorporate as many relevant aspects and perspectives on a topic as possible.

The AZuR partner meeting approves a three-year extension of the joint commitment. The Klima Arena in Sinsheim provided the perfect location for the network gathering of the AZuR partners from Germany and the Benelux on June 14, 2022. Over 20 of the already 50 partners—companies from the tire and recycling sector, associations, media, environmental authorities, universities, and research institutions—attended to work together on initiatives, ideas, solutions, and visions for the sustainable tire cycle of the future.

End-of-life tire exports are a challenge for the entire European recycling sector, undermining domestic efforts. German tire alliance, Allianz Zukunft Reifen (AZuR), has drafted a resolution for the EU to call for more control over these exports and promote internal recycling. The resolution will be signed on June 4, 2024, at THE TIRE COLOGNE. Urgent regulations at the European level are needed to ensure sustainable handling of end-of-life tires in line with a circular economy.

In AZuR’s (Allianz Zukunft Reifen) network, material recyclers are important buyers of end-of-life tires for the secondary raw materials. Recently, AZuR introduced Austrian company KIAS Recycling GmbH as a partner. KIAS Recycling GmbH operates the only used tire recycling plant in Austria, which is one of the most modern in Europe. At the Ohlsdorf site, up to 30,000 tons of end-of-life tires are broken down into their individual components and the majority of them recycled.

AZuR – Germany’s innovation forum for tire recycling – reports that with three workshops on the topics "tire recycling", "retreading" and "pyrolysis" the AZuR network has successfully started its active work. The project, which is financed by the funding guideline "Innovationsforum Mittelstand" of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, was very well received by the economy, science and also politics. "We had three very exciting and above all productive meetings in which the discussions were very open and differentiated", says network coordinator Christina Guth.

Alliance for Tires of the Future (German "Allianz Zukunft Reifen or AZuR) invites fleet operators to take part in AZuR’s survey. Retreaded tires are the perfect solution for fleet operators who want to reduce the operating costs of their fleet (commercial vehicles/cars) and minimize their ecological footprint. In an AZuR survey by the end of February 2023, it will be determined how fleet operators assess and use retreaded tires and how the retread rate could be increased.

The third scientific AZuR Colloquium took place on October 10, 2024, on the Jülich campus of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences (FH Aachen) with high participation. Forty scientists from various universities, institutes, and disciplines came together to discuss current research findings and projects related to the sustainable reuse and recycling of end-of-life tires. The agenda included workshops, discussion panels, and keynote presentations on topics such as the pyrolytic utilization of end-of-life tire granulate, the use of old rubber granulates in flood protection, and the future of recovered carbon black (rCB) as a sustainable filler.