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Covestro has opened a new pilot plant at its Leverkusen site in Germany to advance the chemical recycling of high-performance polyurethane elastomers from laboratory development toward industrial application. The double-digit million-euro project focuses initially on selected end-of-life Vulkollan® materials, which are used in applications such as forklift wheels, railway buffer elements, automotive jounce bumpers and vibration-control components. Covestro says its process can recycle more than 90% of the selected material by mass by breaking the elastomer down into purified chemical building blocks for reuse, while reducing the carbon footprint by up to two thirds compared with fossil-based virgin material. The pilot facility will be used to test different waste streams, refine process conditions and generate data for future scale-up, while Covestro works with customers, recyclers, waste collectors and logistics providers to establish the collection and return systems needed for closed-loop elastomer recycling.

Longxing Technology Group has started supplying nearly 10,000 tons of sustainable carbon black to a European tire manufacturer after receiving customer approval for the product. The China-based carbon black producer said the deliveries mark an important step in expanding its role in Europe’s sustainable tire supply chain, where tire manufacturers are increasingly evaluating lower-carbon and circular raw materials. Longxing Tech’s sustainable carbon black is produced using cracking oil derived from waste tires as the main feedstock, supporting links between tire recycling, pyrolysis and carbon black production. The company said the product is designed to offer performance characteristics comparable to conventional virgin carbon black while reducing reliance on fossil-based raw materials such as coal tar.

The CEOs of 10 leading tire manufacturers gathered to confirm a two-year Tire Industry Project (TIP) workplan focused on research and action for sustainability in the tire lifecycle, including tire-emission research and end-of-life tire management. TIP’s workplan for 2024 and 2025 builds on its established program of scientific research with enhanced action and stakeholder engagement across projects relevant to environmental, social and governance (ESG) in the tire sector.

On 10 September 2025, the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA) issued a statement welcoming the European Parliament’s adoption of the End-of-Life Vehicle Regulation (ELVR). The association underlined that this step brings greater regulatory clarity to the circular economy framework in Europe.

The European Tyre Recycling Association (ETRA) has announced the call for papers for its 31st Annual Conference on Tyre Recycling, which will take place from 24–26 March 2026 in Brussels. The conference theme, "Tyre Recycling: Is the Future Circular?", will explore industry priorities and the expanding opportunities for recycled tyre materials in both established and emerging markets. The programme will examine how the sector is evolving amid shifting EU policy dynamics and broader economic and industrial pressures.

Europe's tyre recycling industry faces a critical challenge: cost-driven decisions often take precedence over environmental responsibility. In many Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems, tyres are exported for processing abroad, only to be reimported as recycled materials - a move that has a terrible effect on the EU circular economy, disregarding the loss of valuable resources, the environmental costs of transportation, and CO2 emissions.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) has opened applications for the final round of Market Development Fund grants for 2025, offering support for research, development, and commercialisation projects that use tyre-derived material (TDM) in new and innovative ways.

Murfitts Industries, one of the UK’s leading tire recycling companies, has been awarded the EcoVadis Silver Medal in recognition of its sustainability performance. The rating places the company among the top 15% of businesses assessed globally by EcoVadis, a leading provider of corporate sustainability evaluations.The EcoVadis assessment framework measures sustainability management systems across four key categories: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. The Silver rating reflects Murfitts Industries’ structured approach to environmental stewardship, responsible operations, and transparent supply chain management.

The Scrap Tire Research and Education Foundation, Inc. (STREF), and the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) to host the 9th Tire Recycling Conference on May 14th - 17th, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. As the scrap tire industry’s premier market development and emerging trends conference, the 9th Tire Recycling Conference offers a valuable opportunity for industry leaders, regulators, and stakeholders to review key developments in scrap tire management.