News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

On August 11, 2023, the MAKROchem Group closed its representative office in Russia. The Management Board of the MAKROchem Group has decided to sell all shares in the subsidiary in Russia by the end of 2023. Preparations are currently underway to conclude an appropriate agreement, and MAKROchem will inform about the final sale of shares in a special announcement.

Pliteq – sustainable rubber products manufacturer with presence in the UK, UAE, Canada, US, LATAM, Singapore, and Australia – transforms end-of-life tires (ELT) into high-quality offerings like commercial flooring and sound insulation materials. Pliteq is dedicated to producing environmentally friendly, sustainable rubber products, from commercial flooring to underlayment materials; and recognized for their unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovative approach to rubber recycling.

In a recent article by Automotive World, Krzysztof Wróblewski, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Technology Officer at Contec S.A., delves into the potential of recycled tires to reshape the future of mobility. Rather than viewing end-of-life tires (ELTs) as mere waste, the automotive industry can leverage them as valuable secondary feedstock for tire manufacturing, aligning with circular principles. This shift could substantially reduce the carbon footprint of tires and contribute to manufacturers' ambitious 2050 goals of achieving net-zero emissions.

Porous Lane, a pioneering venture led by Associate Professor Mahdi Disfani and Dr Amir Mehdizadeh, is revolutionizing the pavement and construction industry in Australia by transforming used tires from landfills into robust and permeable pavements. This technology aims to create flood-resistant cities, enhance water quality, and divert waste from landfills. The founders, supported by the University of Melbourne's Translating Research at Melbourne (TRAM) programs, participated in the 2019 TRAM Track and are currently part of the 2023 TRAM Air cohort, focusing on refining their venture's investibility.

According to EuRIC, the future of car recycling holds promise after the European Recycling Conference 2023. The conference highlighted the EU's recently proposed End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Regulation, leading to exciting discussions with high-profile speakers. EuRIC reports that this year’s edition of the European Recycling Conference cast a spotlight on the future of car recycling, considering the European Commission’s recently proposed End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Regulation, a game-changer for the automotive industry.

Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Enviro) has developed a new type of recovered carbon black with improved dispersion properties. The new type of carbon black has been developed to meet demand from the tire and rubber industry. The new type of carbon black has been produced for some time at Enviro’s plant in Åsensbruk, Sweden, and has acquired properties enhancing its interaction with other chemicals and ingredients when manufacturing tires and rubber parts, for example.

British Plastics Federation recently released an article about Waverly Carbon's sustainable recovered carbon black (rCB) and how it could be used in manufacturing process. The article also covers Waverly Carbon's collaboration with its official UK distributors Lawrence Industries Ltd. The widespread use of virgin carbon black, derived from finite fossil fuel resources, poses environmental challenges due to its production process, high energy consumption, and associated emissions.

Belgian company RISORCE (Renewable, Innovative Solutions towards Recycling & Circular Economy) has closed a €12.5M round of financing from GREEN.er (Recytyre), Noshaq, Wallonie Entreprendre and various players in the financial sector in order to build a new end-of-life tire recycling plant in the province of Liège. Using a pyrolysis process, this plant will enable the equivalent of half of Belgium’s car tires to be processed locally.

According to Recycling Today media, Ecore International, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is set to receive $10 million in Federal New Markets Tax Credit allocation from UB Community Development LLC (UBCD), a community development subsidiary of United Bancorporation of Alabama. This funding will support Ecore's tire recycling facility in Ozark, Alabama, where end-of-life truck tires will be recycled to produce flooring and surfacing products.