News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

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.

Episode 21 of the Tyre Recycling Podcast features Jon Visaisouk from Canadian Tyromer – a successful devulcanization company who also expanded its operations to Europe

This March, BASF revealed its plans to use pyrolysis oil from recycled tires to manufacture outdoor pants. The new product line of the outdoor apparel company VAUDE which will be available in stores from March 2022, does not only stands out due to its timeless design, robust material and simple reparability – the pants are also sustainable, as chemically recycled endof-life tires are used as a raw material. With this innovation, BASF and VAUDE seek to make a contribution towards reducing waste and preserving valuable resources.

On March 10, 2021, Black Bear Carbon, the innovative company that recovers carbon black, oil and gas from end-of-life tire granulate, has announced in its press release its intention to build a factory at the Chemelot industrial park in Geleen. A previous factory in Nederweert, in a joint venture with tire recycler Kargro, was dismantled after a fire in February 2019. After an intensive period of two years, Black Bear Carbon is living up to its reputation as a technology pioneer with the development of a best-in-class factory in terms of process, safety and reliability. At the end of 2019, Black Bear Carbon announced that it was going to Rotterdam and made an energetic start towards that goal in 2020. In the course of 2020, timely realization of RCBNL turned out to be difficult to achieve due to the issue regarding nitrogen deposition rights. In close collaboration with Chemelot, the BBC has looked at the alternatives and decided to settle in the south of Limburg province.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) warns tire recycling and tire collection companies that dodgy overseas operators have caused approximately 100 shipping containers full of used tyres exported from Australia to Malaysia to be abandoned in Penang. The tyres have been abandoned on the Penang docks after a local Malaysian operator, with no verified processing operations, brought the containers into Malaysia. TSA says that the case highlights that tyre recyclers offering cheap deals need to be closely examined to make sure they can deliver what they promise, and that they are genuinely providing reliable, sustainable and environmentally sound recycling of tyres.

According to a press release by Newsfile Corp., Environmental Waste International Inc (EWS), announced that it has entered into an agreement today with Torreco Inc. ("Torreco"), a private Ontario corporation, whereby Torreco agrees to invest $7 million to convert EWS's pilot plant in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario into the Company's first commercial scale tire recycling plant utilizing EWS's patented microwave technology. EWS will retain a 30% ownership interest in the plant and receive a royalty in perpetuity on the revenue generated from the sale of valuable commodities produced from its environmentally friendly tire recycling process. The investment by Torreco is being made via common share purchases of Ellsin Environmental Ltd. ("Ellsin"), a wholly owned subsidiary of EWS, which owns the Company's waste tire facility in Sault Ste Marie including land, building and equipment. The $7 million will be used to expand and modernize the plant utilizing EWS's latest technology. In exchange for the investment in Ellsin, Torreco will also be granted the right to build three additional end-of-life tire recycling facilities in Ontario over the next five years if it meets certain conditions.