News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

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.

In the article “Is the Road to Sustainable Asphalt Paved with Tires?” published on December 11, 2020 in the ASC Central Sceince, Raleigh McElvery – a contributor to Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society – writes that “Mixing waste rubber from scrap tires into asphalt binder is one way to make pavement more environmentally friendly.” The article touches upon the topic of environment and shows how rubberized asphalt from end-of-life tires proves to be more environment-friendly than the common asphalt concrete. McElvery writes:

In addition to the new Register of Producers, the most notable developments are the regulation of the classification and sale of second-hand tires and the incorporation of tires with a diameter greater than 1,400 mm into the expanded responsibility of the producer, which are added to the new structure rates. According to Signus, these tires are distinguished because in their nomenclature the letter S is added to the category to which it belongs (For example F1S) and they have their own Ecovalor amounts.

In late December 2020, Swedish tire pyrolysis operator and equipment manufacturer Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Enviro) reported about updates to its long-term collaboration agreement with Michelin. According to the press release, as part of the strategic partnership negotiations, Enviro and the French global tire manufacturer Michelin have agreed on the principle terms for establishing the first jointly owned recycling plant and a license agreement regulating the terms of use for Enviro’s tire recycling (pyrolysis) technology as well as subsequent compensation. The agreement is subject to the approval of Enviro’s owners at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and the closing will be done after the EGM. Notice of an EGM will be sent out separately, Enviro highlighted.

Carlton Forest Group – a tire pyrolysis equipment manufacturer and operator from the UK – reports that its pyrolysis and recycling engineer, that has dedicated his entire career to managing waste streams around the world, has won a UK Lifetime Achievement Award. Rory Hughes, Technical Director at our IRR Waste 2 Energy, part of Carlton Forest Group, scooped the award at the UK Business Tech Awards as the virtual ceremony on 25th November drew to a conclusion.

According to the magazine, the manufacturer believes RFID technology is a cost-effective way of tracking tires from cradle to grave and a significant contributor to predictive maintenance services. In addition, such a system will enhance driver safety by allowing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems such as ESP to fine tune responses according to specific tire characteristics. At the end of a tire’s life, the technology could be used to improve recycling rates, allow proof of recycling and help improve the efficiency of energy recovery programs, the article says. Michelin is working with car manufacturers to develop algorithms that could pave the way for several new advances as cars become more connected. Dealers and workshops will also benefit as exact tire identification and data will be easily accessible, reducing fitting errors and helping with stock control.

Wastefront AS – a Norewegian tire pyrolysis company – announced an exclusive long-term project delivery partnership with Devaltec LLC, a project developer and solutions provider in new and sustainable energies from the United States. Devaltec, which was first introduced to Wastefront by Vitol in 2019, will now act as the primary strategic partner to Wastefront and will co-lead the development of all upcoming projects for the next 5 years. Devaltec is contracted to successfully deliver production from multiple plants of minimum 1000 MTD, commencing with Wastefront’s first waste tire recycling plant in Sunderland, due for completion in 2023.

This December, Jamaica Observer published an article revealing that Jamaica’s Government has been implementing a multimillion-dollar program in partnership with Carib Cement to get rid of end-of-life tires at the island's dumps starting with the two million that are at the Riverton City disposal site in St. Andrew. Outlining the arrangement at a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, minister with responsibility for environment and climate change, Pearnel Charles Jr., said the old tires pose an environmental threat and are a major contributor to the numerous fires that have occurred at Riverton over the years.