News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Funds, family offices, banks, and large industrial companies are setting up investment budgets of considerable magnitude (with tens or hundreds of millions of euros in fresh capital) for ELT pyrolysis projects to grow up to an industrial scale. This not only opens enormous opportunities for the ELT pyrolysis industry but also poses challenges for a technology going disruptive. In order to meet the expectations of all stakeholders, a multi-layered approach is necessary and the consideration of a multitude of aspects from different perspectives must be considered.

Surrounded by leaders from the waste and recycling industry, Entyr Limited was awarded the Innovation Award for its low-emissions thermal baking conversion process for end-of-life tyres.

After a break, the TRAC Rubber Recycling Symposium returned to its biennial schedule with an October conference in Nova Scotia. TRAC's President and CEO, Carol Hochu, emphasized the collective journey toward sustainability as the central theme of the event. Hosted by Divert NS in Nova Scotia, the symposium delved into sustainability rather than mere recycling, with Divert NS CEO Stacy Breau spotlighting the province's successful stewardship program boasting an 88.5% recovery rate. The recovered material finds application in road construction and engineering projects, with the aim to shift from recycling to a waste reduction approach.

Zeppelin Systems – the company that specializes in the design, construction, and technological upgrading of industrial plants – has secured the engineering contract for the construction of ReOil's second pyrolysis plant in Poland. Set to commence in February 2024, the large-scale facility, covering 27 acres, will have the capacity to recycle 60,000 tonnes of old tires annually.

Crumb rubber from end-of-life tires in asphalt and seals has a long history of good performance in Australia. The Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AfPA) – the peak body for the multi-billion dollar flexible pavement industry in Australia – with the support of Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) plans to conduct a Master Class that brings an additional perspective on international practice, performance and the fundamentals behind the use of crumb rubber in asphalt.

Rosehill Security's Ballistic Blocks offer unparalleled versatility, allowing for the construction of various defensive structures, including guard huts and sangars. In collaboration with Damasec Physical Protection Systems , Rosehill has developed a robust guard shelter, combining a wooden framework with its Ballistic Blocks. This design effectively stops bullets and shrapnel, safeguarding occupants from ricochet dangers and preventing bullet fragmentation.

Kal Tire – an international leader in mining tire management and supply, serving more than 150 mine sites across five continents – believes in helping customers achieve sustainability with their tires at every stage of the journey, including end of life. With investments in resources, innovative solutions and new ways of working, the company helps mines extend tire life and solve one of its customer’s biggest challenges: recycling end-of-life tires. According to the recent Kal Tire’s post, its new thermal conversion facility delivers a revolutionary approach to recycling ultra-class mining tires.

According to the latest press release by Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA), each year the equivalent of over 58 million passenger tires reach their end-of-life in Australia. TSA says that throughout the life cycle of these tires, it is important to consider the environmental and health impacts, including tire and road wear particles that may be generated while driving tires on the roads, and from tire-derived materials when tires are recovered at the end of their life.

New Zealand’s government has approved regulations which will change the way the country manages its end-of-life tires. They outline how regulated product stewardship, through the Tyrewise scheme, will work for the first time in Aotearoa. A key part of the regulation is replacing the existing ad hoc ‘environmental’ or disposal charges New Zealanders currently face when disposing of old tires with a tire stewardship fee.