News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Qatar’s daily newspaper The Peninsula reports that as the Ministry of Municipality and Environment of Qatar (MME) is set to organize the 1st International Waste Management Conference, Qatar is making steady progress in recycling waste, including end-of-life tires, to achieve its environment protection goals. According to the newspaper, in 2020 alone, 434,000 tons of construction materials were produced by recycling construction waste. According to information shared by the MME on its official social media accounts, 482,402 tires were also processed in 2020.

Tarmac – one of the leading and pioneering firms working with the rubberized asphalt in the United Kingdom – has become the first company in the UK to secure recognized industry approval for its innovative rubber modified asphalt incorporating recycled end of life car tires for use on the strategic road network. Following a series of successful trials over a number of years, the leading sustainable construction solutions company’s ULTIPAVE R, is the first thin surfacing system of its kind to receive BBA HAPAS Clause 942 approval.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) – a regulatory body responsible for end-of-life tire management – announced this April that Mercedes-Benz Australia has become newest contributor to TSA in a commitment to the responsible disposal of end-of-life tyres. Mercedes-Benz Australia has announced it will contribute a levy to Tyre Stewardship Australia based on all new vehicles sold in Australia. In addition, Mercedes-Benz Retailers across the country will be able to become accredited participants with the TSA, agreeing to work with accredited recyclers and collectors of end-of-life tyres. Claire Painter, Corporate Communications Manager, said Mercedes-Benz Australia was proud to demonstrate its commitment towards the sustainable management of end-of-life tyres in an initiative that took effect from January 1, 2021.

On April 1, a global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) announced that it has agreed to sell Liberty Tire Recycling (Liberty) to ECP, an investor with a decades-long reputation in the environmental and sustainable solutions sector. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021. Liberty Tire Recycling is a premier provider of tire recycling services in North America. With a network of more than 25 processing plants and flexible collection service offerings nationwide, the Company saves more than 190 million tires per year from the waste stream, recycling approximately three billion pounds of rubber for innovative, sustainable materials and products.

Eagle International – a renowned manufacturer of tire cutting and tire recycling equipment – has been working with various tire recyclers in the U.S. and Canada to improve the way tires are reduced and recycled. The Nebraska-based manufacturer makes tire shears, derimmers, bead removers, and sidewall cutters to handle small ATV tires up to giant OTR tires. Eagle International has developed a new machine in their portable OTR downsizing equipment line: The Punch Cutter III.

In the recently held Recircle Awards – the globally-facing industry award event recognizing sustainable innovation, production processes, management and services within the tire retreading and recycling sectors – a U.S. based manufacturer of tire recycling machinery outperformed European its competitors for international awards program that recognizes excellence in tire recycling. ECO Green Equipment develops advanced eco-friendly and cost-efficient turnkey tire recycling systems. They recently garnered international attention for sweeping the Best Tyre Recycling Industry Supplier Award at the global Recircle Awards. The company develops both stand-alone machinery and integrated equipment to turn end-of-life tires into valuable aftermarket products. Their tire shredders and grinders can convert tire rubber into fine rubber powder for innovative high-end products, playground surfaces, athletic fields, landscaping mulch, automotive parts and tire-derived fuel.

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The advantages of pyrolysis to tackle the world's growing disposal problem with end-of-life tires (ELT) in terms of a circular economy were described extensively in the last decade. Pyrolysis is a thermal process that converts organic rubber material into low molecular weight compounds such as pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil and raw recovered Carbon Black (ASTM 8178-20a). In contrast to the incineration of ELT, which is often condescendingly referred to as "thermal recycling" or „waste-to-energy“, pyrolysis does not destroy any raw materials, but breaks down the waste product into its chemical raw material components and makes them available for the circular economy. Fortunately, this is in the meantime confirmed by the great demand from the chemical industry for products from ELT pyrolysis.

Carlisle TyrFil – the leading global supplier of polyurethane tire fill and productivity technologies for Off-the-Road (OTR) equipment tires, OEM and aftermarket – reports it has proved that innovation and sustainability can coexist and become a competitive advantage. According to the company, during the past two decades, Carlisle TyrFil has introduced next generation technology that significantly reduces the usage of oil, petrochemicals, toxic metals, and other environmentally harmful compounds. In 2021, Carlisle TyrFil introduced the latest extension to its Recycling Technology line-up to further drive adoption of sustainable manufacturing practices within the OTR tire industry.