News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Hydrogen Central reports that Linde Engineering committed to work with London-listed Powerhouse Energy and its EU partner Hydrogen Utopia (HUI) to use its technology to convert plastic to hydrogen in a deal struck at COP26. For the next five years, Linde will provide exclusive hydrogen processing services produced at HUI's plants across Europe. A number of factories are already in the works, with the first set to open in the Polish city of Konin by the end of next year, followed by Bulgaria and Greece, an article by Hydrogen Central asserts. There are also plans for locations in the United Kingdom, with the first set to open in the Northwest in two years and another in Scotland to follow. At least 500 jobs are planned to be created in 50 facilities as a result of the proposals.

Arab Times Online report that Hundreds of used tires are discarded everyday in the Amghara scrapyard's vicinity, signaling the emergence of a new "Arrhiya" neighborhood. It also denotes the onset of an issue that, if not addressed early on, could become difficult to resolve in the future, according to the Al-Rai newspaper. This issue is dangerous not just because used tires are discarded illegally, causing environmental pollution, but also because it threatens the campers and livestock near the Amghara scrapyard.

Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) is proud to announce that it received a 2021 Award of Distinction from the Canadian Society of Association Executives for its new website design. CSAE Awards of Distinction recognize outstanding achievement in association leadership, structure, and governance; and/or the planning and execution of internal, external, and integrated programs that serve associations’ members and/or engage external stakeholders and volunteers. The virtual Awards Ceremony was held on November 10, 2021. Details about all CSAE award-winning programs and successes can be found here.

British recycling innovator, Big Atom, is celebrating a receiving a £350,000 grant from Innovate UK, which is to help the company further advance in end-of-life tire recycling. The tire recycling company, which, reportedly, boasts the North West’s second largest tire recycling plant, has been given the cash injection to develop its patented chemical reactor technology, which will convert old waste tires into new materials. Company founder, Alexander Guslisty, said that the grant would enable the business to develop the concept of a novel pyrolysis reactor with improved temperature control and efficiencies to create an even more sustainable regeneration process for polymers.

With Liberty's access to tires and Bolder's technology and customer pipeline, the partnership is expected to make a meaningful impact across the globe. This November, Bolder Industries, Inc. (Bolder), a pioneer in converting end-of-life tires into sustainable carbon black (BolderBlack®), petrochemicals (BolderOilTM), steel (BolderSteelTM), and power, announced a new partnership with Liberty Tire Recycling (or "Liberty"), one of the leading providers of tire recycling services in North America. Bolder’s press release says these two world leaders in end-of-life tire solutions join forces to provide immediate circular solutions and sustainable raw materials to rubber, plastic, and petrochemical businesses.

Continental is breaking new ground in the development of sustainable material solutions: For the second time this year, the Hanover-based technology company has joined forces with the Berlin-based innovation network for advanced materials (INAM) to launch the Continental Challenge for start-ups and university institutes. Continental’s advanced materials and innovation experts hope to generate new ideas for the production and recycling of rubber and plastic products. The challenge is one of the numerous initiatives launched by the company as part of its sustainability roadmap in its anniversary year 2021.

The German AZuR (Allianz Zukunft Reifen – “German Tyre Future”) – an organization engaging in the design of end-of-life tire management practices – has initiated a study on end-of-life tires in the country. From retreading to tire pyrolysis, the research by AZuR will examine at different components of end-of-life tire value chain, including tire collection and recycling. The goal is to discover the actual facts pertaining to the reality of waste tire management.

Econeu is a novel collective waste management solution for tires that have reached the end of their useful life, launched in Chile. Econeu SpA was formed by a group of 26 Chilean tire and vehicle importing companies with the goal of implementing and developing a collective end-of-life tire management system that will allow tire manufacturers to comply with the EPR Law (No. 20,920) and the Ministry of the Environment's Supreme Decree No. 8, which establishes end-of-life tire collection and recycling goals, as well as other obligations associated with this end-of-life tires.

Ecopneus – Italian end-of-life tire (ELT) management organization – plans to raise tire dealer collections by up to 20%. This is in reaction to a message sent to Italy's EPR agencies by the Directorate General for the Circular Economy. The increase is in accordance with a directive that took effect on December 11, 2020. "The objective is to stem the critical situation, on which we will immediately contribute our active contribution," said Federico Dossena, Ecopneus General Manager. "However, it is vital to get to work on tracking and controls in order to provide structural answers."