News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) announced that its preeminent biennial Rubber Recycling Symposium will take place October 4-5 at the Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Tire and Rubber Association of Canada with the Symposium’s Host Sponsor Divert NS, and partner U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association cordially invite professionals and companies involved in tire manufacturing, rubber recycling, manufacturing of products from recycled rubber, end-of-life tire stewardship organizations, governments, and equipment manufacturers to participate in what had become one of the largest events of its kind.

According to VACO – the trade association for the tire and wheel industry in the Netherlands – sustainability is the 'core of the business' for many companies in the tire and wheel industry. The industry is working hard towards a fully circular chain. Vivianne Heijnen, Netherlands’ State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, visited tire retreading company Roline. She saw with her own eyes how renewing commercial vehicle tires can make an important contribution to saving raw materials and reducing CO2 emissions. Heijnen said she liked the fact that the sector itself is working hard on the way to the circular economy. The company visit is part of the knowledge and information campaign about retreaded tires that VACO launched at the end of 2022.

Pyrum Innovations AG (Pyrum), a pioneer in the sustainable recycling of end-of-life tires (ELT) based on its patented pyrolysis technology, has signed a contract with premium tire manufacturer Continental for the supply of recovered carbon black (rCB). With the conclusion of the contract, there are now long-term serial supply contracts for all of Pyrum's core products, in addition to the contract for the supply of pyrolysis oil to BASF SE. Pascal Klein, CEO of Pyrum Innovations AG: “The long-term supply contract is a huge step for our company. We have now concluded serial supply contracts for all core products. As with our pyrolysis oil, the demand for our rCB is much greater than we can currently meet. Therefore, we will expand our production capacities in the next few years and expect to triple our capacities already this year with the commissioning of production lines II and III at our site in Dillingen.

Read about the most important events and updates in the tire recycling and pyrolysis industry! Subscribe for our newsletter today! Weibold offers comprehensive consulting services in the field of tire recycling and tire pyrolysis. Learn how Weibold's Market Researches can help you successfully launch and upgrade your business!

On behalf of Waverly Carbon (UK) we seek high quality pyrolysis char (raw rCB) as the business looks to ramp up capacity to meet demand. Demand for finished rCB is growing across rubber, plastics and inks and coatings, and Waverly Carbon is keen to bring on new suppliers to increase output. It is essential that suppliers meet its specification requirements for clean and consistent pyrolysis char. Material must be low volatile, steel free and with stable ash content. Waverly Carbon is willing to provide offtake agreements for 100-200 tonnes per month. Detailed specification can be shared on request.

Just in February 2023, the Joint Research Council (JRC) of the European Commission [1] published their study results on the environmental and economic factors of chemical recycling (pyrolysis) and energy recovery of end-of-life tires (ELT). The result of this study in advance: chemical recycling via ELT pyrolysis - including mechanical recycling for feedstock processing - is a more sustainable option for managing ELTs than energy recovery via incineration. Revisiting a decades-old knowledge Already in 2010, a much-cited Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) found pyrolysis to be the most eco-effective ELT treatment technology, followed by dynamic devulcanization and ambient grinding. [2] These results were confirmed in 2015 by a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study showing that substituting primary resources with pyrolysis products from ELTs provides significant environmental savings. [3]

Pyrum Innovations AG (Pyrum) – a pioneer in the sustainable recycling of end-of-life tires (ELT) based on its patented pyrolysis technology – has received the ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management system following a comprehensive audit. As a result, the company now meets all the important criteria for being allowed to supply its recovered carbon black (rCB) to the automotive industry. The rCB is used in the tire industry for the production of new tires, as well as in the plastics and electrical industries. Pyrum had previously received ISO 9001 certification for its quality management system and silver status in the EcoVadis sustainability ranking. A year ago, Pyrum also signed a development agreement with premium tire manufacturer Continental to produce high quality recovered carbon black for Continental's tire production. The final hurdle has now been cleared with ISO 14001 certification.

TNU (Tratamiento Neumáticos Usados) – a Spanish EPR agency for end-of-life tires – states that to manufacture a new tire, 1,950 litres of water are needed and only 878 litres for a retreaded tire, saving 45% of water. TNU issued a press release to acknowledge World Water Day on March 22, a date that seeks to raise awareness about the water crisis that our planet is suffering and that has led to droughts around the world. In addition, it also aims to remind us of the need for millions of people to access drinking water. Between 2,000 and 3,000 million people suffer from water scarcity in the world, a problem that will worsen in the coming decades, especially in cities, according to UN data.

On behalf of our Clients, we seek partners to establish end-of-life tire pyrolysis facilities in Europe. Our Clients have over a decade of successful commercial experience globally in the end-of-life tire recycling industry. Joint Venture preferred.