News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

As millions of bicycle tires are disposed of every year around the world, some companies are becoming more conscious about how sustainable they are. BikeBiz magazine reports that Gecko – a British manufacturer of bicycle tires – has patented a new lightweight expanded, cellular rubber technology, where old tires can be returned, recycled and used in the manufacture of new bicycle tires – with potentially up to 30% of the new tire composed of recycled material. In fact, an independent life cycle assessment analysis of the Gecko tire showed that it would be at least 70% less damaging to the environment compared to an equivalent pneumatic bicycle tire. “I set up my own company about 16 years ago to develop an expanded, cellular rubber technology, with the aim of using it in tires,” says Gecko’s Richard Adams. “You’d often find bicycles in sheds and garages with flat or cracked tires not being used. We thought the answer to that would be a solid tire.

In early January 2020, innovative Swiss tyre recycling company Tyre Recycling Solutions shared its success of implementing the ECR technology in the country. In its recent statement, TRS said: “After two years of technology validation led by the Swiss Institute for Material Science and Technology (EMPA) and involving two asphalt contractors and one world-leading supplier of mixing plant, TRS has started implementing the ECR technology in Switzerland. Five road sections were paved in 2020. Watch for more road paving in 2021, and not just in Switzerland!”

2020 has become a great year in forming partnerships between tire and plastic pyrolysis companies with world’s leading chemical producers, and pyrolysis operators with tire manufacturers. In the beginning of 2021, good news comes again, this time – from the plastics pyrolysis domain, which nevertheless goes hand in hand with end-of-life tire pyrolysis. Agilyx – a chemical recycling company – and ExxonMobil have created a joint venture that will sort and recover waste plastic, the chemical recycling company recently revealed.

Ecopneus – Italy’s end-of-life tire management authority responsible for tire collection and recycling – reports that the use of crumb rubber modified asphalt is growing in the country. In 2020, Italy used 63% more end-of-life tires to pave its roads. Speaking about benefits of rubberized asphalt, Ecopneus says it resists potholes, lasts 3 times longer than traditional asphalt, reduces noise and maintenance costs and helps utilize valuable commodity – tire-derived crumb rubber – that otherwise would often end up in landfills.

Following the call for tender for renewed end-of-life tire collection and tire recycling launched in 2020 by Aliapur – French end-of-life tire collection and recycling authority, –20 of France’s administrative districts will change tire collector for the period 2021-2024. Among them are: Ain, Allier, Ardennes, Corrèze, Doubs, Drôme, Gers, Jura, Loire, Lot, Manche, Marne, Haute-Marne, Morbihan, Rhône, Somme, Vendée, Yonne, Hauts-de-Seine and Val-D'Oise. According to Aliapur, this change will be transparent and easy: automotive industry professionals will be automatically linked with their new tire collector via the extranet, Aliapur’s database “Aliabase”, the liaison tool that connects Aliapur to its subcontractors.

Recycling tires into materials such as steel-free crumb rubber and fine rubber powder used to be a profitable venture; however, due to market saturation in developed economies, tire recycling companies might want to shift their focus from raw materials to potentially higher-priced consumer goods made from recycled rubber or even virgin rubber which can be replaced by tire-derived materials. The first and so far one of the most viable choices of tire recyclers would be investing in presses and molds to produce molded goods from crumb rubber or rubber powder. Another options include more complex technologies, e.g. blending recycled rubber powder with polyethylene or polypropylene to produce thermoplastic elastomers (TPE).

The Tire Industry Association’s (TIA) Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) has introduced an easy-to-use glossary of key reference terms and definitions used in the tire and rubber recycling industry. The guide, which also contains terms and definitions covering other tire segments, was developed to improve knowledge and communication and serve as a valuable resource for anyone working in the tire recycling industry, said Dick Gust, EAC chairman. As more businesses become concerned with sustainability, the glossary will help to define terms and technologies frequently used in the tire recycling industry and aid state regulators when drafting rules and regulations to manage the flow of scrap tires, he said. Tire dealers also will find it a handy reference when dealing with customers who wish to learn more about where scrap tires go when removed from their vehicles.

Tyre Stewardship Australia – the renowned for its success end-of-life tyre recycling authority in Australia – launched a demonstration project aimed at increasing the use of recycled crumb rubber on local roads across Tasmania is helping pave the way to a more sustainable future. The authority reports that more than 1240 end-of-life truck tyres will be diverted from landfill and mixed with the equivalent of 40,000 recycled glass bottles to produce crumb rubber asphalt in the ground-breaking project – a first for Tasmania – in a partnership between local road specialist Fulton Hogan and Tyre Stewardship Australia.

An end-of-life car and truck tire collection program was launched by Dmitrovsky Rubber Plant (Dmitrovsky Zavod RTI) in June 2020. The company rallied together with Dunlop Tire CIS to open joint tire collection points in Moscow and Tver regions. According to the company, its tire collection program was recognized as the most sound green project based on its environmental impact, and it was awarded by the prize “Change Management, Visionaries" in the category Environment & Business.