News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

The EU Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement in November 2023 to revise EU waste shipment procedures with the goal of improving environmental and human health protection, while also supporting climate neutrality, circular economy, and zero pollution objectives. The revised Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR) underwent a final vote in a Strasbourg plenary session on February 27, 2024, with 587 in favour, eight against, and 33 abstentions. Find more information about the development of this regulation here.

On February 27, European Parliament approved updated EU procedures and control measures for waste shipments. The rules for exporting waste from the EU to third countries will be stricter. Plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries will be prohibited within two and a half years after the entry into force of the regulation, while those to OECD countries will be subject to stricter conditions. Within the EU, the exchange of information and data on waste shipments would be digitalised, through a central electronic hub, to improve reporting and transparency. Shipping waste destined to be disposed in another EU country would be allowed only in exceptional circumstances.

According to Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA), Queensland's Sunshine Coast Council is harnessing off-the-road (OTR) tyres' performance qualities by using crumb rubber from end-of-life OTR tyres in new asphalt roads. Recycled rubber from end-of-life tyres has been used in Australia’s roads and worldwide for many decades, but what is exciting is the potential for OTR crumb rubber to help Australia build more resilient and more sustainable ‘roads of the future’ – which is exactly what Sunshine Coast Council is aiming to deliver for residents and businesses as part of its program of testing emerging technologies for local application.

Already next month, on March 19 – 21, 2024, Tire Technology Expo Conference will bring together leading industry figures for three days of presentations, discussions and networking on the latest developments in tire manufacturing, scientific advances, sustainability and the global tire business.

On February 23, Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Enviro) has received an initial payment for costs incurred relating to the plant in Uddevalla, Sweden. The payment has been made by the joint venture established by Enviro and Antin Infrastructure Partners. In this initial stage, Enviro has received a payment of MSEK 53 million, of which MSEK 26.5 in cash and MSEK 26.5 in the form of shares in the joint venture. As previously communicated, Enviro has an option to acquire an ownership share in the joint venture that over time will ultimately correspond to approximately 30 percent. Enviro intends to fully exercise this option.

The Scrap Tire Research and Education Foundation, Inc. (STREF), and the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) to host the 9th Tire Recycling Conference on May 14th - 17th, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. As the scrap tire industry’s premier market development and emerging trends conference, the 9th Tire Recycling Conference offers a valuable opportunity for industry leaders, regulators, and stakeholders to review key developments in scrap tire management.

The construction of the end-of-life tire recycling plant in Sweden will be based on Enviro’s unique pyrolysis technology with the ability to extract raw materials from multi-component products. This joint venture announces the final investment decision for the construction of its first used tire recycling plant. Antin and Enviro entered into the joint venture in March of 2023 to build a series of plants in chosen European geographies.

According to the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC), in the EU, almost 95% of end-of-life tyres (ELT) are currently collected and treated due to effective waste tyre management systems, largely driven by extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes and recycling investments. However, there has been a lack of EU policies to enhance the circularity of raw materials from ELT over the past two decades. The rubber recycling market faces regulatory challenges, leading to uncertainty for tyre recyclers and hindering innovation and investment. A regulatory framework is necessary to promote material circularity in tyres and develop sustainable applications, maximising environmental benefits and reducing reliance on natural resources.

The Tire Industry Association (TIA) and the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) announced the formation of the Tire Recycling Foundation, a collaborative initiative aimed at fostering sustainable and circular market solutions for end-of-life tires. The unveiling of the Tire Recycling Foundation took place at the 2024 OTR Tire Conference, where John Sheerin, Director of End-of-Life Tire Programs at USTMA, joined Dick Gust, CEO of TIA, on stage to introduce this initiative.