News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

e-RubberCon is an international conference organized by the French Association of Rubber and Polymer Engineers (AFICEP) under the auspices of the International Rubber Conference Organization (IRCO) which AFICEP is a member of. As its name suggests, the conference is devoted to problems of rubber industry, including rubber and tire recycling, as this year its main motive is “Environment and Recycling: A Strategic Challenge for Rubber Materials.” This year, Robert Weibold – a tire recycling and pyrolysis expert from Vienna, Austria – speaks at e-RubberCon about “Challenges, trends and opportunities for end-of-life tires from a French perspective”. If you would like to connect with Robert Weibold, please send your inquiry at sales@weibold.com.

Renowned manufacturer of high-end tire recycling equipment ECO Green Equipment makes “short list” for annual awards honoring the world’s leading innovators in tire recycling. A public vote will decide the winners. ECO Green Equipment, a global leader in cost-effective, turnkey industrial tire recycling solutions, is proud to announce that they have been named to the short list of nominees for the prestigious Global Recircle Awards, which honor innovations in the tire recycling industry.

The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries released its monthly report where it says the world production of natural rubber (NR) contracted at 8.3%, year-over-year, to 11.376 million tons during the first 11 months of 2020 (January – November) and likely to fall by 8.9%, year-over-year, for December 2020. The outlook “Natural Rubber Trends & Statistics December 2020” says that the supply in 2020 is revised upward by 81,000 tons to 12.678 million tons compared to the outlook presented in the last issue. While the world production is anticipated to recover in January 2021 by producing about 1.192 million tons of NR against 1.056 million tons in January 2020.

As millions of bicycle tires are disposed of every year around the world, some companies are becoming more conscious about how sustainable they are. BikeBiz magazine reports that Gecko – a British manufacturer of bicycle tires – has patented a new lightweight expanded, cellular rubber technology, where old tires can be returned, recycled and used in the manufacture of new bicycle tires – with potentially up to 30% of the new tire composed of recycled material. In fact, an independent life cycle assessment analysis of the Gecko tire showed that it would be at least 70% less damaging to the environment compared to an equivalent pneumatic bicycle tire. “I set up my own company about 16 years ago to develop an expanded, cellular rubber technology, with the aim of using it in tires,” says Gecko’s Richard Adams. “You’d often find bicycles in sheds and garages with flat or cracked tires not being used. We thought the answer to that would be a solid tire.

In early January 2020, innovative Swiss tyre recycling company Tyre Recycling Solutions shared its success of implementing the ECR technology in the country. In its recent statement, TRS said: “After two years of technology validation led by the Swiss Institute for Material Science and Technology (EMPA) and involving two asphalt contractors and one world-leading supplier of mixing plant, TRS has started implementing the ECR technology in Switzerland. Five road sections were paved in 2020. Watch for more road paving in 2021, and not just in Switzerland!”

2020 has become a great year in forming partnerships between tire and plastic pyrolysis companies with world’s leading chemical producers, and pyrolysis operators with tire manufacturers. In the beginning of 2021, good news comes again, this time – from the plastics pyrolysis domain, which nevertheless goes hand in hand with end-of-life tire pyrolysis. Agilyx – a chemical recycling company – and ExxonMobil have created a joint venture that will sort and recover waste plastic, the chemical recycling company recently revealed.

Ecopneus – Italy’s end-of-life tire management authority responsible for tire collection and recycling – reports that the use of crumb rubber modified asphalt is growing in the country. In 2020, Italy used 63% more end-of-life tires to pave its roads. Speaking about benefits of rubberized asphalt, Ecopneus says it resists potholes, lasts 3 times longer than traditional asphalt, reduces noise and maintenance costs and helps utilize valuable commodity – tire-derived crumb rubber – that otherwise would often end up in landfills.

Following the call for tender for renewed end-of-life tire collection and tire recycling launched in 2020 by Aliapur – French end-of-life tire collection and recycling authority, –20 of France’s administrative districts will change tire collector for the period 2021-2024. Among them are: Ain, Allier, Ardennes, Corrèze, Doubs, Drôme, Gers, Jura, Loire, Lot, Manche, Marne, Haute-Marne, Morbihan, Rhône, Somme, Vendée, Yonne, Hauts-de-Seine and Val-D'Oise. According to Aliapur, this change will be transparent and easy: automotive industry professionals will be automatically linked with their new tire collector via the extranet, Aliapur’s database “Aliabase”, the liaison tool that connects Aliapur to its subcontractors.

Recycling tires into materials such as steel-free crumb rubber and fine rubber powder used to be a profitable venture; however, due to market saturation in developed economies, tire recycling companies might want to shift their focus from raw materials to potentially higher-priced consumer goods made from recycled rubber or even virgin rubber which can be replaced by tire-derived materials. The first and so far one of the most viable choices of tire recyclers would be investing in presses and molds to produce molded goods from crumb rubber or rubber powder. Another options include more complex technologies, e.g. blending recycled rubber powder with polyethylene or polypropylene to produce thermoplastic elastomers (TPE).