News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Reportedly, a piece of equipment ignited the fire at a Weld County tire recycling facility, with more than 40 firefighters from different departments, as well as private contractors, worked last week to put out the flames. Greeley Tribune reports that seven piles of end-of-life tires spanning some 5 acres of land caught fire Wednesday evening in unincorporated Weld County, a few miles northwest of Hudson, and though the fire has darkened down significantly, it continues to burn Thursday morning. Platteville-Gilcrest Fire Protection District crews received a call for the fire at 5:28 p.m. Wednesday at CH2E, a tire recycling facility on Weld County Road 41, near Weld 26, according to an agency news release. Initial reports stated equipment was on fire.

On the 9th of July, ZARE (Zertifizierte Altreifen Entsorger) – a German end-of-life tire collection and recycling organization, announced launching a new platform to promote and facilitate end-of-life tire recycling in Germany. Aiming primarily at small and medium-sized enterprises involved in the end-of-life tire recycling, ZARE and BRV made a big step towards realizing a new platform. The organizations received funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) of Germany to launch the project. "We have already done a good job and can now really get going," said managing director of BRV Yorick M. Lowin.

ElastikoTM ECR technology has been developed by Asphalt Plus, LLC since the early 2000s as a part of an engineered application system called “Dry Process Rubber.” ElastikoTM ECR has been used to modify millions of tons of asphalt mix in the US, and these modified mixes have been used on thousands of miles of heavy and medium traffic roads. TRS builds solutions for the processing and recycling of scrap tires through the development and implementation of innovative technologies. The company is deploying the technologies globally in a series of regional processing facilities. ElastikoTM ECR will allow TRS to vertically integrate their licensed tire recycling business by providing recycled rubber products to the asphalt paving and roofing markets.

The recent news from Continental – a prominent tire manufacturer – proves that the industry is expected to becoming more sustainable which, in turn, will affect tire recycling industry as well. In late June 2020, Continental received the Red Dot Design Award for Urban Taraxagum – bicycle tires made from dandelion rubber. Moreover, the tire manufacturer recently made a very positive announcement related to sustainability. Now that Claus Petschick heads new Sustainability department, sustainable management is expected to become an integral part of Continental’s “Vision 2030” strategy program. Besides, the company will continue engaging in consistent research and development of new technologies, alternative materials and environmentally friendly production processes in the tire sector.

In late June 2020, Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) has released a report which it referred to as “the most comprehensive piece of research conducted into the end-of-life tyre market since the 2017 National Market Development Strategy for Used Tyres.” TSA’s research combines material flow analysis data with TSA participant reports to provide a complete picture on the fate of all tyres: passenger, truck and off-the-road.

Some of the most important services of Weibold are Market Research reports. In Market Research and Market Reports Weibold provides tire recycling and tire pyrolysis companies with in-depth analyses of the latest trends, opportunities, risks and market developments in the industry. Weibold identifies demand for rubber powder, crumb rubber, fuel oil and other tire-derived raw materials on regional and international markets, finds promising applications for the raw materials, lists the most promising sales opportunities and gives exhaustive information on how to develop tire recycling or pyrolysis business given customers’ geographic locations, national and regional environmental regulations, feedstock supplies, market conditions and much more.

In its recent article, Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) reports that it has mapped its 2020-2023 strategy against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). TSA’s mission to ensure the sustainable management, recycling and productive use of end of life tyres is now underpinned by 5 of these SDGs: SDG #8 – Decent work and economic growth

The European Chemical Agency’s Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) is proposing an EU-wide ban on microplastics infill in sports and other play surfaces from 2028 due to ‘possible’ environmental releases. Since our tyres contain a mixture of natural rubber and synthetic polymers (TDRM), these are deemed to have been intentionally introduced into infill materials. The ECHA further claims that 16,000 tonnes of this material is ‘released’ into the environment annually and constitutes its justification for the proposed ban.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) reports that an innovative spray-on concrete made from used tyres that can protect buildings against blast, ballistics, impact and fire has been short-listed for Australia’s most prestigious manufacturing awards. TSA supports Flexiroc Australia Pty Ltd in its research and development of this ground-breaking product, Protectiflex. Flexiroc managing director Gary Bullock says Protectiflex is a game changer: a one-stop solution that can be sprayed on buildings and structures to strengthen and protect them – and the people within them – from explosions, weapons and ballistics attacks, forced entry and fire.