News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

According to the ministry, more than 60% of waste tires generated in South Korea are currently recycled into thermal products such as solid recovered fuel. Only a small share is converted into recovered carbon black for use in new tire production. The government said the new R&D program is intended to support a shift toward higher-value recycling by producing recycled raw materials that can be used in manufacturing rather than mainly in energy-related applications.

England’s new „Tyre Pyrolysis Oil Resource Framework“ establishes a defined pathway for determining when TPO produced from waste tires may cease to be classified as waste. Although formally applicable only in England, the framework has significant implications for overseas TPO producers, traders and English importers. Imported TPO will not automatically be recognized as a product merely because it has obtained end-of-waste or equivalent status in the country of dispatch. Instead, the English importer must demonstrate compliance with the framework’s requirements, including eligibility of tire-derived feedstocks, representative pre-dispatch testing, conformity with minimum and refinery-specific specifications, certainty of refinery use, and delivery to an appropriately permitted facility. The framework therefore shifts market access towards transparent, contractually defined and evidence-based supply chains. While it may strengthen confidence in TPO as a refinery feedstock, it also increases the compliance, documentation, and due diligence burden for both exporters and importers.

This is no flaw in the standard: its purpose is not to measure the true particle size, but to give buyers and sellers a common frame of reference for trading rCB. The bias, however, stays. To safely meet a customer specification of, say, D97 ≤ 10 µm, a producer has to mill their rCB further down to 8 or 9 µm, so that every customer (using whichever laser particle sizer sits in their incoming goods inspection) measures a D97 below 10 µm. The required over-milling consumes extra electricity, raises CO2 emissions and cuts milling throughput. One could call it an uncertainty tax, levied not by any authority, but by physics.

The presentation will also consider technical barriers to wider adoption, the potential value of distillation and further refining, and the production scale at which TPO upgrading may become commercially viable. Emerging pricing approaches and the potential development of premium TPO markets in Asia-Pacific and Europe will also be discussed. Recovered Carbon Black Asia 2026 will feature representatives from the recovered carbon black, tire manufacturing, carbon black, pyrolysis, refining, and recycling industries. The event will open with a joint session alongside Sustainability in Tires 2026, while registered participants will have access to both conference programs and a shared networking area throughout the two-day event.

or the second quarter of 2026, Enviro reported net revenues of MSEK 0.3, compared with MSEK 19.9 in the corresponding period of 2025. Earnings after tax for the quarter amounted to MSEK -27.1, compared with MSEK -21.2 a year earlier. Earnings per share before dilution were SEK -0.02, unchanged from the corresponding period last year. Cash flow after investments for the quarter was MSEK -21.6, compared with MSEK -49.6 in the second quarter of 2025.

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.

TIP said TATMA’s membership strengthens its ability to monitor and anticipate sustainability-related developments in Southeast Asia. Affiliate Members are tire trade associations that contribute regional perspectives to TIP’s global work, helping the organization understand ESG issues and trends across different markets. The partnership adds a local industry perspective from Thailand, a country described by TIP as the world’s second-largest tire exporter by volume.

TNU said Royal Decree 712/2025 marked one of the main milestones of the year for Spain’s end-of-life tire sector. The regulation introduced new obligations for producers and collective systems related to traceability, control, transparency and compliance with targets for preparation for reuse, recycling and recovery. TNU said it strengthened its management systems during 2025 and carried out training, information and support activities for producers, managers and other operators to help ensure consistent implementation of the new framework.

Ontario’s tire recycling system is facing renewed scrutiny as collection challenges, proposed regulatory changes and supply chain pressures affect the movement of end-of-life tires across the province. In a commentary for Autosphere, Carol Hochu, President of the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada, said the current situation shows how complex tire recycling systems can be, involving collectors, haulers, processors, end markets and regulatory oversight. Disruptions in any part of this network can create bottlenecks across the system, affecting tire generators, producer responsibility organizations and recycling service providers. The discussion comes as Ontario considers new measures intended to strengthen accountability, prevent large tire stockpiles and ensure that used tires continue moving into responsible recycling and repurposing channels.