News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

PRISM™ – a recycled rubber and plastic innovation company based in Kirkland, WA, United States – reports that its first-of-its-kind process converts recycled tire rubber into fully functional, sustainable, like-new rubber, attracting $23.5 million in total capital investments since the company’s founding in 2019. The latest round of investment comes from Seattle-based Columbia Pacific Advisors and the Baty Family. The new investment will provide PRISM™ the capital to expand their operations as well as their research and development efforts. Based in Kirkland, Washington, PRISM™ Worldwide has developed a patented clean technology that converts 100% of end-of-life tires (ELT) into functional, sustainable, like-new rubber and plastic polymers. The resulting product is called PRISM Thermoplastic Rubber (PTR™) and is used in the manufacture of a number of rubber and plastic products. This unique process is the result of thirty years of research and refinement inspired by the path to sustainability in the circular supply chain.

Tyrecycle reports the company is excited to be included in the NSW Environmental Trust’s latest round of grants as part of the rollout of the Australian Federal Government’s Recycling Modernisation Fund. According to the recent social media statement, Tyrecycle has secured $2.9 million in funding for a $5.8 million expansion project at Erskine Park. This facility will provide the upgrade from 6 inch to 1.5 inch TDF, provide steel cleaning facilities, and introduce Off The Road (OTR) processing and debeading.

Ecuador is making attempts to move towards circular economy and to promote tire recycling. The first facilitator of that in the country is a non-profit organization Seginus launched in 2018. The company recently announced on its website that it celebrated 1000 days of its existence, and, all this time, they have been trying to give nd-of-life tires second life.

The Bristow tire recycling facility in Australia failed to comply with the environmental rules after massive fire broke out on its site. The local fire crew managed to contain it, however, the plant is now pressured by the Bristow Industrial Authority and the Department of Environmental Quality. The fire incident took place early this month. Almost half of the property has been destroyed as a result of the blaze that was raging for about 2 days.

Eni has signed an agreement with Ecopneus that will evaluate the technologies suitable for scrap tires boost. This move will help to obtain sustainable chemical and energy products. The new project relies on the principles of circular economy. The agreement strengthens the collaboration between Eni and Ecopneus , which have already carried out a project in Massafra (Taranto). During that project, the companies focused on asphalt modified with polymers and rubber powder from scrap tires.The initiative became possible thanks to a deal with the Municipality of Massafra reached in June 2020. Back then, Eni made the bitumen from the Taranto refinery available. Ecopneus, for its part, used its technical know-how for the diffusion of modified asphalts.

German authorities have endorsed a tire retreading initiative from the Innovation Forum for Tire Recycling (AZUR) that is expected to commence soon. The organizers say that the program will last for two years. According to AZUR, the majority of funding (70 percent) will be provided by the DBU (German Federal Environment Foundation). All other costs needed for the program’s implementation are expected come from several crucial partners that include Marangoni Retreading Systems, Reifen Hinghaus GmbH, Kraiburg Austria and others. The expected program will assess the life cycle of retreaded end-of-life tires and rolling resistance measurements. The organizers of the new initiative are hopeful that it will help to promote the idea that retreaded tires are the perfect examples of sustainable products, and people’s attitude towards their use will become more positive as a result.

Late last month, Weibold reported about the battle of Kuwait authorities with illegal tire dumping site in a desert, the Al Sulaibiya. This is the largest tire dump in the world. The tire crisis has been ongoing for over 30 years. The Environment Public Authority (EPA) in Kuwait was able, according to an official in the authority, to remove 95% of the tires. An EPA official revealed that a big amount of tires has been transferred to alternative lands in Salmi. A massive fire broke out at the famous tire dump in the Al Sulaibiya early this month, Insider Paper reported on 3 August. 7 million fires were engulfed in flames of a massive fire at the world’s largest tire dump at the Al Sulaibiya in Kuwait. It was possible to see the blaze from the satellite images shared via Twitter accounts.

On August 5, 2021, a press release by McDermott International informed announced the company has been awarded a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract from the Michelin Group in France for an innovative waste tire technology enabling large-scale production of recycled carbon black—a key ingredient in advancing the next generation of sustainable tires. This award follows a similar FEED announcement in April, which is focusing on the production of regenerated styrene to make synthetic rubber for tires. Incorporating Scandinavian Enviro Systems' licensed pyrolysis process, a technology that separates bulky waste into raw materials for repeated production, the implementation of this waste-to-value solution further advances Michelin's commitment to building a circular economy and increasing the demand—and availability—of sustainable materials.

Oman is currently challenged by end-of-life tires as new stockpiles continue to accumulate. The two most troubled areas are Barka and Sur. Even though Oman has functioning tire recycling programs, they are not enough, reportedly, as the scope of the problem is rather big. It is noteworthy that Oman´s neighbour, Kuwait, is also suffering from similar problem with scrap tire dumps.