News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

TNU says tire recycling alone is no longer enough to complete the circular economy unless recovered materials return to the market and replace virgin raw materials. In an article by Javier de Jesús Landesa, Operational Director of Tratamiento de Neumáticos Usados, the Spanish collective system argues that public procurement can become one of the strongest tools for creating stable demand for materials recovered from end-of-life tires. Spain already has a consolidated tire management system and an industry capable of converting used tires into rubber, steel, textile fibers and other secondary raw materials. However, TNU says the main challenge is now commercial and industrial: recycled rubber, retreaded tires, recovered carbon black and other tire-derived materials need markets large enough to absorb them and recognize their technical, environmental and economic value.

TSA has opened Round 4 of its Market Development Fund, with applications available from September 1 to October 6 for projects that increase real-world use of Australian tire-derived material. The fund offers grants of up to $300,000 for eligible applicants across Australia and supports projects that move tire-derived material from concept to practical market use. TSA says the program is designed to build stronger long-term demand for material recovered from end-of-life tires by backing product innovation, infrastructure trials, local manufacturing and applied research. The fund is open through two streams: Demonstration & Infrastructure Projects and Research & Development. Supported activities must use Australian-sourced tire-derived material and demonstrate commercial, environmental or community value.

Greenwin has officially launched the EcoBridge project, a 12-month initiative funded by the Central European Initiative Network Programme to connect Ukrainian and Moldovan small and medium-sized enterprises with EU expertise in sustainability, digitalization, circular economy and international business development. The project began with a virtual kick-off meeting on April 17, 2026, bringing together consortium partners from Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria and Italy. GREENWIN acts as project coordinator and contributes expertise in circular economy, tire recycling pyrolysis technology and Extended Producer Responsibility policy development in Ukraine. Through training sessions, study visits, strategic documents and a final conference in Italy, EcoBridge aims to help non-EU SMEs improve competitiveness, strengthen resilience and prepare for green and digital transition in line with European integration objectives.

Mexico’s Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes is carrying out periodic conservation works on the federal highway 15 Morelia-Guadalajara using recycled materials, including ground rubber from end-of-life tires. The works are being carried out through Centro SICT Jalisco on isolated sections between kilometers 97+940 and 116+500, in the area between Jocotepec and El Molino. According to local reporting, the technique combines recycled asphalt pavement, known as RAP, with ground tire rubber to produce an asphalt mix designed to improve pavement resistance and durability. The project links road maintenance with tire recycling, rubber recycling and circular economy objectives by creating an infrastructure outlet for waste tire materials while improving the performance of the road surface.

The municipality of Centro in Tabasco, Mexico, has removed 1,669.65 tonnes of waste tires since 2022 as part of a coordinated public health and environmental campaign against dengue, Zika and chikungunya. The results were presented during an ordinary session of the Municipal Health Committee, where local authorities reviewed progress, prevention strategies and the epidemiological situation in the municipality. According to the report, all collected tire material has been sent for ecological processing to Geocycle, allowing the municipality to eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites while giving the recovered material a controlled treatment route. The initiative shows how waste tire collection, public health policy and tire recycling can work together to reduce disease-vector risks and improve local environmental management.

>Kuwait Green Building Council hosted a hybrid lecture and discussion with the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research on the potential use of recycled tire materials in road construction. The session, titled “From Waste to Roads,” took place on August 24, 2026, and focused on Kuwait’s tire waste challenge and the opportunity to repurpose discarded tires for more sustainable infrastructure. The topic is especially relevant to Kuwait because the former Al-Rheyya site once contained more than 40 million waste tires before they were transferred to Al-Salmi for treatment and recycling. The session presented tire recycling and rubberized asphalt as potential circular economy pathways that can reduce the environmental burden of accumulated tires while creating productive uses for recycled rubber in the built environment.

The Mining Cleantech Challenge is a product-innovation showcase that connects technology providers with mining companies, investors and suppliers. Selected finalists are chosen through a competitive vetting process and receive an opportunity to pitch their technologies live, gain executive feedback and explore partnership and commercialization pathways. The 2026 event took place on August 27 and focused on technologies that can improve mining sustainability, efficiency and profitability. Colorado Cleantech said the program is open to companies from any geography or stage, provided their technology can address mining or mineral processing challenges.

yderabad-based waste-commerce company Recykal is planning to expand its recycling ecosystem by setting up hyperlocal processing units for several waste streams, including paper, batteries and tires. The company, which operates a technology-driven platform connecting waste generators, recyclers and other waste management stakeholders, said the expansion is intended to bring processing closer to the locations where waste is generated. Recykal has raised $22 million, or around ₹162.8 crore, to strengthen its technology platform and broaden its operations. The proposed expansion into tire waste could support more organized collection and recycling of end-of-life tires, while the wider hyperlocal model may improve transparency, reduce transport distances and create a more decentralized circular economy network for recyclable materials.

The global retread tire market is projected to grow from $10.8 billion in 2025 to $18.5 billion by 2035, according to a new market intelligence study published by Radial Insights. The forecast points to a compound annual growth rate of 5.58% over the period, with demand driven mainly by commercial fleets seeking lower tire costs, longer casing life and improved cost per mile. Retread tires are presented as an important circular economy solution because they extend the useful life of tire casings and reduce the need for repeated new tire purchases. The study says retreads typically cost 30% to 50% less than comparable new tires, making them attractive for trucking, logistics, mining, construction, public transport and aviation operators that consume tires at high rates.