News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Steelmaker SSAB Alabama, in collaboration with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), has successfully completed a trial using crumb rubber from recycled tires as a substitute for petroleum coke in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking.

Harmonised EU-wide End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria for rubber derived from End-of-Life Tyres (ELTs) are essential to strengthen Europe’s tyre recycling market. Together with the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA), EuRIC emphasizes that the absence of harmonised EoW criteria poses significant challenges for the industry, hindering the trade and uptake of recycled tyre materials across borders.

HOUSTON, July 8 – Orion S.A., a global specialty chemicals company, announced it plans to discontinue production at three to five of its carbon black lines at multiple facilities in the Americas and EMEA by the end of 2025. “This decision is part of Orion’s strategy to focus maintenance investments on higher-performing production lines – making them more reliable and productive – and to rationalize underperforming assets,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said. “This move is also intended to enhance free cash flow.”

On July 7, the European Parliament’s Environment and Internal Market Committees adopted proposals for new EU rules aimed at ensuring circularity across the entire vehicle lifecycle — from design to end-of-life treatment. Under the proposed regulation, new vehicles would need to be designed for easy removal and reuse of parts, with the rules applying to cars and vans one year after entry into force, and to other vehicle types within five years. Certain vehicles, including those for the military, emergency services, and cultural use, would be exempt.

TNU (Tratamiento de Neumáticos Usados) has confirmed its participation as an institutional sponsor in the IV Jornadas Iberoamericanas del Reciclaje 2025, to be held from November 12 to 14, 2025, at the Ágora Bogotá Convention Center in Colombia.

New Zealand is calling on innovators, investors, and entrepreneurs to help drive circular solutions for tyre recycling, as the country launches a major funding initiative to develop markets for tyre-derived recycled rubber. With millions of end-of-life tyres generated annually, this effort aims to unlock economic value from used tyres and support the transition to a more sustainable, circular economy.

In Richmond, British Columbia, a renewed playground in Steveston Park highlights how recycled tires can create safer, more inclusive community spaces. As part of the 2024 TSBC Community Grant Program, the project features durable, slip-resistant rubber surfacing made from nearly 3,000 locally recycled car tires. This innovative use of tire-derived material enhances safety, reduces maintenance needs, and supports local recycling initiatives.

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Each year, well over a billion tires worldwide reach the end of their life. Many of these discarded tires still accumulate in landfills or are burned for a one-time energy gain, creating pollution and wasting valuable materials. Tire pyrolysis, a form of chemical recycling, breaks down end-of-life tires (ELT) into useful products like oil (TPO), gas, and recovered carbon black (rCB). Across the globe – and especially in Europe and the United States – evolving legal frameworks are transforming tire-derived pyrolysis oil (TPO) into a strategic commodity. New laws and policies on both sides of the Atlantic are beginning to treat TPO as a sought-after resource for fuels and petrochemicals. This shift in perspective is driving a wave of investment and innovation in ELT (end-of-life tire) pyrolysis, positioning it as a crucial component in the puzzle of the circular economy.