News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

According to a recent study, recycling used tires has less of an impact on the environment than using new materials to make the same items. In order to fulfill producer obligations under the Tire Regulation 225/18 and the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act (RRCEA) of Ontario, producers must receive services that help them reach the regulatory goal of collecting and recycling 100 percent of the used tires they sell into the market. This involves delivering them to processing facilities and confirming how they are transformed into new products for authorized usage as Tire Derived Products on the market (TDP). A TDP replaces the more traditional method of producing goods by using fresh, or "raw," resources. People anticipate that recycled tire products will be more environmentally friendly than the new materials they replace. The goal of the Scrap Tire Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a study in which seven members of the Canadian Association of Tire Recycling Agencies voluntarily participated, was to quantify this expectation (CATRA). The study involved gathering and analyzing data from participating tire recycling companies utilizing information from 2017 to 2020.

Bridgestone to demonstrate its vision for sustainable mobility through the enablement of material circularity, product performance, and on-demand services for personal and fleet mobility. The company’s presence at CES®1 2023 is centered around three key themes: renewable natural rubber and tire recycling, “Smart Corner” digitally connected tires and air springs for EVs, and a digital concierge experience for personal and fleet vehicle management. CES 2023 is the first time Bridgestone will showcase its vision for the full product life cycle—from manufacturing to ownership to end-of-life material circularity—as a demonstration of the Bridgestone E8 Commitment to becoming a Sustainable Solutions Company.

Geocycle LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Holcim (US) Inc., announced it has acquired CM Rubber Technologies, Inc., in Coleman, Michigan, as part of our ongoing commitment to create a zero waste future and accelerate green growth. The acquisition will allow Geocycle to provide a sustainable waste management solution to Northern Michigan through co-processing used tires to recover energy and divert waste from landfills. Additionally, it will deliver a stable source of lower emissions fuels for the Alpena cement plant, in Alpena, MI, which recently broke ground on a 22,000 ton per year, whole-tire, co-processing line. By early 2023, the Alpena plant will begin to co-process tires from the Geocycle Coleman facility, reducing CO2 emissions and delivering a low-carbon, circular economy model for the region.

The Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes' (DJSI) Automobiles and Components sector now includes Pirelli, Nokian Tyres, and Hankook Tire Corp. The DJSI Europe Index also featured Pirelli and Nokian. Against a sector average of 36 points, Pirelli scored a total of 85 points. According to the firm, Nokian Tyres outperformed the industry standard in 20 of the 21 evaluation criteria for the worldwide Auto Components sector in 2019. Hankook Tire claimed it earned favorable assessments in the areas of materiality, supply chain management, corporate citizenship and charity, and was also commended for its ongoing efforts to increase its sustainability.

Pyrum Innovations AG ("Pyrum"), a pioneer in the sustainable recycling of end-of-life tyres (ELT) based on its patented pyrolysis technology, has further expanded its cooperation network. In a pilot project with the BMW Group, Pyrum has recently began recycling the used tyres of the BMW Group branch in Saarland. The pilot project was preceded by an audit in which topics such as occupational safety and fire protection, permits and environmental requirements were examined. Pascal Klein, CEO of Pyrum Innovations AG: "We are delighted to welcome the BMW Group as a renowned partner in our cooperation network. Our unique pyrolysis technology is the leading process in the recycling of used tyres."

Continental and Security Matters (SMX), an innovative tech platform specializing in digital tracking using unalterable chemical-based barcodes, have succeeded for the first time in verifying beyond doubt a marker substance for natural rubber in a tire, and thus throughout the entire production process. The dedicated marker technology, which both companies optimized for use in natural rubber, is designed to create greater transparency along the entire value chain of tires and technical rubber products from Continental. Provided with special security features, the use of the marker substances enables the invisible marking of natural rubber with information on its geographical origin.

German end-of-life tire pyrolysis operator Pyrum Innovations AG (Pyrum) has started series delivery of recovered carbon black (rCB) to Ralf Bohle GmbH, manufacturer of German bicycle tire brand Schwalbe. According to Pyrum, the delivery will close the loop “completely” for Schwalbe, which collects end-of-life tires through its recently launched recycling system and supplies them to Pyrum for further processing.

The Alliance of Future Tires (AZuR) together with representatives from the press, the Federal Environment Agency, the DBU and the Ministry of the Environment visited the modern Michelin retreading plant in Homburg at the beginning of December. The plant retreads up to 620,000 truck and bus end-of-life tires every year. For AZuR network coordinator Christina Guth, the Michelin factory is proof that the "retreading of commercial vehicle tires is a promising, forward-looking concept that not only works economically, but also ecologically and socially."

A new report from the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) shows opportunities to expand end-use tire markets and improve tire recycling rates to keep pace with annual scrap tire generation. The 15th 2021 Scrap Tire Management Report found that markets consumed 71 percent of annually generated scrap tires in 2021, down from about 76 percent reported in 2019. This decrease is due primarily to a nearly 13 percent increase in scrap tire generation, while markets to consume them increased by six percent. However, even with this small reduction, scrap tires outperform metal, glass, aluminum, plastic and paper recycling rates. Only automotive batteries and corrugated cardboard have a higher recycling rate.