Tratamiento Neumáticos Usados (TNU) has announced the winners of the public voting phase of the sixth edition of its “The Tyre in a Positive Light” photography and visual arts contest, concluding this year’s campaign with strong audience participation and renewed focus on environmental awareness.

The public voting period ran from March 16 to April 21, 2026, through the initiative’s Instagram account, where five entries were selected based on the highest number of public votes. Each winning submission received an honorable mention along with a €40 prize.

One of the notable outcomes of this year’s voting was the performance of artist Irintxa, whose work secured four of the five top-voted positions.

Using creativity to highlight tire recycling

According to TNU, the contest is designed to raise awareness about the importance of properly managing end-of-life tires (ELTs) and to highlight how recovered tire materials can be repurposed into valuable products through tire recycling and rubber recycling processes.

By combining visual storytelling with environmental messaging, the initiative encourages participants and the wider public to consider the role recycled tire materials can play in a circular economy.

Public engagement initiatives like this help broaden awareness of how recycling systems support resource recovery, reduce landfill dependence, and contribute to long-term sustainability goals.

Recycled tire materials in everyday applications

Materials recovered from end-of-life tires are used in a growing range of commercial and infrastructure applications.

Mechanically processed tires can be converted into crumb rubber, which is commonly used in rubberized asphalt, sports surfaces, playground flooring, and artificial turf systems. Recycled rubber materials also support civil engineering projects, industrial products, and mobility-related applications.

In addition to mechanical processing, emerging tire recycling technologies such as pyrolysis are creating new recovery pathways for end-of-life tires, producing materials including tire-derived oil, recovered carbon black (rCB), and pyrolysis char, further expanding the circular use of tire materials.

Together, these recycling pathways help reduce raw material consumption while supporting broader sustainability and resource efficiency efforts.

Circular economy awareness through public participation

TNU said the high level of participation in the voting phase reflects growing public interest in initiatives that combine environmental awareness with creative expression.

By including a public voting component, the contest aims to increase audience involvement while reinforcing messages around responsible ELT management and circular material use.

As awareness of tire recycling and sustainable material recovery continues to grow, educational and community-focused campaigns remain an important part of building support for recycling systems and expanding understanding of how recovered materials can be reused across the economy.

TNU thanked participants and voters for taking part in this year’s contest and recognized the winners for helping bring greater visibility to sustainability through visual storytelling.

Article source: TNU.