News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

This years’ Tyre Recovery Association's (TRA) Briefing Day will be on Tuesday 24th September 2024 again at the Woodland Grange Hotel and Conference Centre, Leamington Spa. Focussing on the next big challenge facing the UK tyre industry, Mandatory Waste Tracking, the conference programme to be announced shortly will seek to inform and prepare for what is just around the corner. Waste Tracking will impact right across our sector but no more so than on all those who handle, collect, re-tread and process the nation’s 600 plus Kt of annual arisings.

End-of-life tire exports are a challenge for the entire European recycling sector, undermining domestic efforts. German tire alliance, Allianz Zukunft Reifen (AZuR), has drafted a resolution for the EU to call for more control over these exports and promote internal recycling. The resolution will be signed on June 4, 2024, at THE TIRE COLOGNE. Urgent regulations at the European level are needed to ensure sustainable handling of end-of-life tires in line with a circular economy.

Since 1985, Clemson University has hosted an annual Global Tire Industry Conference. Originally organized by School of Textiles professors, the conference has now grown to accommodate an international audience of tire industry professionals. The three-day conference this year kicked off at the Clemson University Center for Corporate Learning in downtown Greenville, featuring several distinguished speakers and presenters. Among them was Dean Wendy York, who spoke about the intersection of business, the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, and the tire industry.

On 26 September 2023 the EU Commission adopted the decision to ban the sale of polymeric materials for infill, starting from 15 October 2031. This decision is creating concerns among end users about possible limitation of the use of artificial fields. Check out ETRA's and RE-PLAN CITY LIFE project's recent material highlighting the key facts about the infill material and the consequences for the tyre recycling industry.

On May 16, 2024, the RE-PLAN CITY LIFE Project will participate in the FORUM BUYGREEN event in Rome. At this event, a WORLD CAFÉ session focusing on Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) will take place, facilitating discussions with Regions and Metropolitan Cities. The aim is to identify policy tools within regional strategies that promote greater utilization of RTMs in various sectors such as Building Constructions, Transport, Sports Infrastructures, and Street Furniture. Partners such as ETRA, ECOSISTEMI, the Polytechnic of Turin, the University of Turin, and the Metropolitan City of Turin, renowned for their expertise in RTM usage, will be present.

Patagonia, a California-based outdoor apparel company, renowned for its commitment to eco-friendly practices, is taking wetsuit sustainability to a new level. In a pioneering move, the company is transforming old wetsuits into new ones, reducing waste and carbon footprint. By utilizing reclaimed carbon black, a key ingredient in neoprene, Patagonia aims to create a truly circular product. This innovative approach not only addresses environmental concerns but also sets a new standard for the industry.

bp has signed an eight-year offtake agreement with Circtec, a UK-based technology company that develops and operates innovative pyrolysis chemical process technology and whose plants convert hard-to-recycle waste tyres into HUPATM - Circtec’s proprietary renewable drop-in marine fuel, and circular naphtha petrochemical feedstock. Under the agreement bp is committed to purchasing up to 60,000 tonnes per year of HUPATM renewable drop-in marine fuel and up to 15,000 tonnes per year of circular naphtha petrochemical feedstock, on a take-or-pay basis, from Circtec’s new commercial-scale plant, for eight years after the new plant is commissioned.

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Globally, over one billion tires become unusable yearly, presenting a valuable resource for the circular economy. Efforts to manage end-of-life tires (ELTs) are underway, with various stakeholders collaborating to improve recycling rates and reduce tire dumping. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Tire Industry Project (TIP) has facilitated workshops to foster cooperation among stakeholders in regions such as the US, Europe, and China. While progress has been made in ELT recycling rates, challenges remain, including policy inconsistencies and inadequate market reporting.