Sustainable raw materials: Liberty deal supporting Bolder’s growth

US-based sustainable materials supplier Bolder Industries, Inc. is looking forward to increasing deliveries to tyre makers and other manufacturers thanks to a new partnership with Liberty Tire Recycling, one of the leading providers of tyre recycling services in North America. It anticipates that the Liberty-supplied feedstock will help it meet growing contractual obligations for its BolderBlack recovered carbon black and BolderOil petrochemicals.

“With Liberty’s access to tyres and Bolder’s technology and customer pipeline, the partnership will make a meaningful impact across the globe,” Bolder states.

Bolder currently requires 60 million end-of-life tyres annually for feedstock and it plans to gradually ramp up production over the coming ten years; Liberty collects more than 200 million tyres a year at present, and this figure is also growing. According to Bolder, the two firms’ supplier agreement provides Liberty with the “highest and best possible use” for the end-of-life tyres it collects while supplying Bolder with a “steady, reliable source of feedstock” for the next decade.

The recovered raw materials producer estimates the partnership will contribute to 400 million lbs (around 181,400 tonnes) of BolderBlack, 1.8 million bbls and approximately 91,000 tonnes of recycled steel, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions, water, and electricity usage by more than 90 per cent. “This is equivalent to removing 300,000 cars from the road each year,” Bolder comments.

Full-scale opportunities

“Liberty is in constant pursuit of the highest and best use of end-of-life tyres. We have been investigating the chemical extraction business for many years and Bolder has proven to be a partner we can rely on to work with us and our customers on a large scale,” states Thomas Womble, chief executive officer of Liberty Tire Recycling. “Bolder and Liberty are aligned in their goals to increase sustainability for waste tyres and our new partnership will accelerate the growth and global expansion for both companies in this critically important space.”

“Liberty Tire Recycling and Bolder Industries are here to provide full-scale opportunities to tyre manufacturers who have committed to recycled content and sustainability goals. Bolder Industries is leading the solution for historically devastating end-of-life tyre challenges. Our circular approach is what helps our customers meet their goals,” says Tony Wibbeler, chief executive officer of Bolder Industries. “Our partnerships with Liberty Tire Recycling, Tokai Carbon, Continental Carbon and Tauber Oil unite the top brands in our industry to provide a closed-loop solution for the end-of-life tyres without supply chain disruptions.”

Win-win for everyone involved

Luiz Polimeno, global purchasing director at Pirelli Tire, describes the new arrangement as “exactly the type of business innovation our industry needs.” Polimeno elaborates: “We can maintain our current collection routes, have insight into our end-of-life tyres and have an opportunity to work directly with our current suppliers to purchase sustainably sourced raw materials for our manufacturing. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”