News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) reported in January 2021 about putting tire manufacturers on notice that California wants them to explore alternatives to using zinc, a toxic chemical that harms aquatic life and burdens waterways. Zinc helps make rubber stronger, but also wears off tire tread and washes into storm drains, streams, rivers and lakes, threatening California fish and other aquatic organisms. DTSC, the State’s department missioned to work toward safer California households, workplaces, and products, intends to use its innovative Safer Consumer Products (SCP) program to work with tire manufactirers to look for an alternative to this harmful chemical. The SCP program seeks to remove toxic chemicals from products before they’re sold to consumers. This is more efficient and effective than issuing bans later, and, in this case, helps stormwater agencies cost-effectively meet state and federal water-quality requirements.

The National Circular Economy Roadmap found innovation is crucial to realising Australia’s largest economic gains, which will come from designing new products and materials, including through advanced manufacturing, and in embracing new business models that will create domestic and export markets for waste streams. This could more than triple job creation from resource recovery in Australia, where the recycling sector currently generates 9.2 jobs per 10,000 tonnes of waste, compared with only 2.8 jobs for the same amount of waste sent to landfill.

CalRecycle – the California’s recycling and waste management authority – will hold a virtual workshop on June 9, 2021 to provide an overview of the 2020 California Waste Tire Market Report which is to be published in summer 2021. The virtual workshop will be held from <b>9:30-11:30 AM PDT</b> as a webinar. This virtual workshop will provide stakeholders an opportunity to discuss the market trends before the 2020 California Waste Tire Market Report is finalized in July 2021. To register for the webinar please click here.

Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Enviro) – a Swedish tire pyrolysis equipment designer and operator – and a global tire manufacturer Michelin have signed three definitive agreements that form the basis of the companies’ strategic partnership. The agreements regulate the terms for a jointly owned plant for the end-of-life tire pyrolysis in Chile, the terms and conditions for Michelin’s use of Enviro’s patented technology, and payment for this, and the terms and conditions for payment to Enviro for deliveries of technology and services to the jointly owned plant in Chile. Before the agreements can enter into force, they must be approved by Enviro’s owners at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). Notice of the EGM will be published separately.

The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) – a Canadian organization responsible for waste management regulations including end-of-life tire recycling, is consulting on Ontario Tire Stewardship’s (OTS) plan to return remaining Used Tires Program surplus funds to stewards. The plan was developed by Grant Thornton Limited, the court appointed OTS liquidator, as a Surplus Funds Addendum to the Used Tires Program Wind-Up Plan. The proposed addendum includes: • which tire classes are eligible to share in the surplus • a proposed methodology to allocate funds to stewards • a proposal to address the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ direction that the surplus funds returned to stewards be used to benefit consumers

In its press release from January 2021, Nokian Tyres reported that the company isn’t just focused on protecting drivers with its genuine tire manufacturing technology; Nokian also works relentlessly to help protect the world around us. One of the company’s ambitious goals is to introduce a concept tire using only renewable and recycled materials by the year 2025. Safety beyond the road – preserving the environment Known for its high safety characteristics as well as for inventing the world’s first winter tire in 1934, Nokian says that now more than ever, safety means more than the everyday journey on the road.

According to Global Rubber Markets, an online magazine devoted to virgin and recycled rubber, a tire processing plant is expected to be constructed in Scotland. The project, reportedly, is the first of its kind in the UK, and it is expected to solve Scotland’s end-of-life tire problem and create over 100 jobs for the local area. A notice of pre-application has been submitted to Renfrewshire council, informing planners of the intent to build a ground-breaking tire processing plant in Linwood (Renfrewshire), Scotland.

Researchers at the RMIT University in Australia have developed a new technology to manufacture concrete made from recycled rubber materials that is stronger and more durable than the traditional product. Recycled concrete aggregates made with ground tyre rubber and everything from coffee cups to building rubble offer huge environmental benefits, from reducing landfill and CO2 emissions, to saving natural resources and boosting the circular economy. Now researchers from RMIT have developed a new method for casting prefabricated concrete products made with rubber tyres and construction and demolition waste that are up to 35% stronger than traditional concrete. Professor Yufei Wu from the School of Engineering led the development of the Rubberized Concrete Processing Technology (RCP-Tech) and said it offered an efficient and inexpensive solution.

At the end of January 2021, The University at Buffalo revealed that its multidisciplinary research group was awarded quarter million U.S. dollars from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to assess and improve tire recycling in the state. In its article from January 28, the University at Buffalo stresses that tire dumps are a breeding ground for disease-bearing mosquitos and animals, and they cause significant air and water pollution if they catch on fire. To help address these issues, the university’s RENEW Institute will work on a multidisciplinary study of the tire recycling industry.