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According to recent media release, Rice University lab’s optimized flash process could reduce carbon emissions, which could be be where the rubber truly hits the road. Rice University scientists have optimized a process to convert waste from end-of-life rubber and tires into graphene that can, in turn, be used to strengthen concrete. The environmental benefits of adding graphene to concrete are clear, chemist James Tour says. “Concrete is the most-produced material in the world, and simply making it produces as much as 9% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions,” Tour said. “If we can use less concrete in our roads, buildings and bridges, we can eliminate some of the emissions at the very start.”

At a time when mining operations are looking to a future with improved ESG, safety and productivity, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group is bringing customers impactful, forward-thinking solutions that didn’t exist before. At Electra Mining 2022, Kal Tire showcases a host of innovations—from an expanded carbon emissions reporting program and a recycling solution that promotes a circular economy to autonomous tyre inspections and prototypes for two first-of-the-kind tools that will change how technicians work safely around the wheel.

On September 6, 2021, Continental reported it is unveiling its innovative Conti GreenConcept tire concept at this year’s IAA MOBILITY. This conceptual study by the premium tire manufacturer leverages both current and emerging technological approaches to the engineering of sustainable tires for passenger cars, as yet another example of Continental’s wide-ranging activities in pursuit of sustainability. The goal of Continental’s integrative and sustainable concept: minimizing resource consumption across every link in the tire’s value chain. As such, the study addressed everything from the sourcing and procurement of raw materials on to the various stages of production and even on up to ways of extending the tire’s service life. Continental’s development engineers and materials experts rose to the occasion and found novel solutions to each of these three challenges. The result: a tire that consists of a particularly high percentage of traceable, renewable, and recycled materials, has an innovative, lightweight design that conserves valuable resources, and extended service life thanks to a renewable tread.

Manufacturers’ Monthly magazine reports that a steel manufacturing process using waste rubber feedstock has been commercialized in a collaborative project with Australian steel manufacturer and TSA Accredited Recycler Molycop, UNSW, Crawford Boots, and the AMGC. The company's electric arc furnace (EAF) in Newcastle uses less energy and produces fewer emissions thanks to the new polymer injection process, which also prevents waste rubber from going to the landfill. The technology, which was created in association with Crawford Boots, the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), and the UNSW Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre, will now be made available for export to global EAF operators.

For too long, end-of-life tires (ELTs) have been treated as trash and discarded. ELTs make up nearly 2% of the total global waste, and an estimated one billion ELTs are discarded yearly. This waste flow is growing dramatically year after year. But businesses follow circular economy principles, they begin to view this trash as an opportunity. Through chemical pyrolysis, ELTs can be broken down into reusable commodities like recovered Carbon Black, recovered Pyrolysis Oil, and recovered Steel.

ELTs make up nearly 2% of the total global waste, and an estimated one billion ELTs are discarded yearly. This waste flow is growing dramatically year after year. But businesses follow circular economy principles, they begin to view this trash as an opportunity. Through chemical pyrolysis, ELTs can be broken down into reusable commodities like recovered Carbon Black, recovered Pyrolysis Oil, and recovered Steel.

After announcing the capability to demonstrate a 70% sustainable-material tire in January 2022, Goodyear, – one of the world's largest tire companies – working with its supply base, plans to sell a tire with up to 70% sustainable-material content in 2023. On January 4, Goodyear unveiled a demonstration tire comprised of 90% sustainable materials. This demonstration tire has passed all applicable regulatory testing as well as Goodyear’s internal testing. This demonstration tire also tested to have lower rolling resistance when compared to the reference tire, made with traditional materials. Lower rolling resistance means this demonstration tire has the potential to offer better fuel savings and carbon footprint reduction.

Wastefront AS – a Norwegian waste tire recycling company – in collaboration with leading Swedish chemical engineering company Hulteberg Chemistry & Engineering AB – announced that it has been awarded a €2 million grant from Eureka Eurostars, the world’s largest funding-program for business collaborations in creating innovative products for commercialisation, and the Norwegian Research Council and the Swedish Innovation Agency. The total project-funding amounts to €2.076 million: €1.038 million from Eurostars and €1.038 million from project partners.

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.