News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Swarnakaruna Princeton Rubber Industries Private Limited, a rubber recycling company based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, has been highlighted by India’s Press Information Bureau as an example of how targeted financial support can help entrepreneurs build sustainable industrial businesses. Founded by Mrs. Swarnalatha Nethipudi, a first-generation Scheduled Caste woman entrepreneur, the company has established an automated facility that converts waste tires into crumb rubber powder ranging from 10 mesh to 40 mesh. The plant has an installed production capacity of about 6,000 metric tonnes per year and has recycled more than two lakh waste tires. The project received ₹5 crore in financial assistance in 2023 through the Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, supporting a circular economy model based on rubber recycling, waste tire recovery, industrial raw material production and local employment.

The parliamentary response shows that a majority of India’s identified tire pyrolysis units are operating in line with the applicable standard operating procedure. These rules govern the recycling of waste tire scrap into outputs such as tire pyrolysis oil, pyro gas and char, which can be used in downstream industrial applications when produced under controlled environmental conditions.

The municipality of Río Grande has advanced its environmental management program with the loading of the first truck carrying 24,000 kg of shredded end-of-life tires for treatment and recycling. The operation forms part of the city’s municipal recycling program and follows differentiated weekly collection from local tire shops. In the first stage, three trucks are expected to be shipped, reaching close to 70,000 kg of recovered tires. The initiative is intended to prevent the accumulation of waste tires, reduce environmental impact and strengthen responsible tire recycling practices through coordination between municipal departments and local collection points.

Marangoni used the podcast to explain how his experience in retreading can support his work as President of EcoPneus. Retreading is closely linked to waste prevention because it extends the life of suitable tire casings before they become end-of-life tires. According to the episode summary, Marangoni also discussed how he manages potential conflicts of interest between his leadership in the retreading sector and his role in an EPR consortium responsible for broader tire recycling and recovery outcomes.

The agreements give Pyrum long-term access to end-of-life tires from Pirelli’s defined German sources and provide Pirelli with ThermoTireBlack® for European tire production. Pyrum said the arrangement covers both sides of its business model: procurement of end-of-life tires and commercialization of the secondary raw materials produced from them.

Stratton Kirton of Liberty Tire Recycling said the US tire recycling sector was originally focused on dismantling large tire piles that had accumulated across the country. According to the article, after more than 50 million tires remained in stockpiles as recently as 1990, much of the industry’s work shifted toward processing end-of-life tires and finding uses for recycled rubber. Liberty Tire Recycling has since grown into one of the most prominent companies in the sector, with the article stating that it was founded in 2000 and now has more than 50 million tires from around 15,000 retail locations across North America reaching the company’s recycling network each year.

SIGNUS said its 2025 operations involved 25,758 workshops and other tire generation points across Spain. The organization coordinated 116,959 collection operations during the year, which it said was equivalent to collecting tires from one point in Spain every minute. The collective system said the total managed volume of 230,901 tonnes was equivalent to more than 28 million passenger tires. Placed one after another, those tires would cover about 18,000 kilometers, or almost half a trip around the Earth.

The interview presents Pirelli’s strategy as one focused on premium tire performance, motorsport-driven innovation, close collaboration with automotive manufacturers and the integration of new technologies such as Cyber Tyre. Bedia also highlighted the company’s work on circular economy initiatives, including the recovery and reuse of carbon black from end-of-life tires through cooperation with Bolder Industries. The discussion reflects broader changes across the tire value chain, where tire recycling, recovered carbon black, sustainable raw materials and connected mobility are becoming increasingly important to manufacturers, consumers and industry associations.

TRAC said each Member Spotlight will be published monthly through the association’s communications channels, including its website, e-newsletter and social media platforms. Each profile will provide a deeper look at a member organization by covering its products, strategic priorities, recent milestones, innovation activities, sustainability initiatives and other areas relevant to Canada’s tire and rubber industry.