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Traction Summit is the definitive meeting place to discuss and understand future opportunities for tires and to make the connections needed to capitalize on those prospects. With a unique blend of speakers and attendees from throughout the full tire supply chain, including the world’s leading tire manufacturers, aftermarket, and OEMs, Traction Summit is unlike any conference in the tire sector. This event is the perfect place to network with industry insiders, hear ideas and insights from different parts of the supply chain, and learn about innovations, growth opportunities, and the latest trends.

In 2018, the world took its first objective measure of our economy's circularity. The result, 9.1%, was already sobering. Just over nine percent of all materials consumed by the global economy were being recycled and reintroduced. The remaining ninety percent ended as waste or emissions or locked away in long-lived assets like buildings and infrastructure. Since then, the situation has only worsened despite the circular economy becoming popular in global sustainability dialogues.

Carbon black has been used since ancient times in China and Egypt, yet today it remains a high-tech material worthy of scientific interest. This is due to the numerous ways it can be engineered to serve as an essential component in a variety of everyday products – from paint and textiles to tires, power cables and batteries. To explore both the fundamentals and the latest innovations, Orion S.A. scientists have authored a new resource: “Carbon Black” in the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology Online, available via the Wiley Online Library.

Smithers’ highly regarded Recovered Carbon Black (rCB) Conference is returning to Asia in 2025! This year’s event will take place on 4–5 September in Bangkok, Thailand, with an option to attend online for global accessibility.

The AZuR network had a strong showing at the 2025 Recircle Awards ceremony in Bologna, taking home seven awards. The international expert jury recognized AZuR partners Genan, Marangoni, and Italmatic for their innovative solutions in retreading and tire recycling. In addition, AZuR network coordinator Christina Guth received the Women’s Award for the Tyre Retreading Sector. “This award is a recognition of the commitment of all AZuR partners in recent years to advancing the circular tire economy,” said Guth at the awards ceremony.

Pyrum Innovations AG (Pyrum) and Thermo Lysi SA have signed an engineering contract in the amount of EUR 2.2 million. The contract marks an important milestone for the company, as it is the first engineering contract to be signed after a plant has been granted a construction permit. Pyrum will now begin the detailed engineering of the planned plant, which is expected to take six months.

Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) announced that the company will debut a demonstration commercial tire at WasteExpo. The tire supports the use of 70% recycled and renewable materials1, making it the first commercially available tire in industry history to reach the milestone. It is the company’s first waste-specific tire to earn ISCC PLUS certification, a globally recognized system that supports the transition to a circular economy and bioeconomy.

The growing issue of tire waste has driven major advancements in recycling and sustainability practices. Ben Chouchouci of the Windsor Industrial Development Laboratory (WIDL) discusses how innovative methods, such as computer-based simulations and optimized product designs, are leading the way in turning scrap tires into valuable materials. Thanks to new regulations and recycling efforts, about 85% of tires in the U.S. are now recycled for energy or material recovery.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) have developed an innovative chemical method that breaks down rubber waste into valuable precursors for epoxy resins. Led by Dr. Aleksandr Zhukhovitskiy, the study presents an alternative to traditional recycling methods like pyrolysis, which can release harmful byproducts. Instead, the new process uses C–H amination and a backbone rearrangement technique to transform cross-linked rubber into amine-functionalized, soluble materials.