Bolder Industries & Liberty Tire formalise partnership

Last November, US-based sustainable materials firm Bolder Industries announced that it had entered into a partnership with major recycler Liberty Tire Recycling. The two companies have now completed a formal agreement outlining their North American partnership.

This agreement secures feedstock for the former Pyrolyx facility that Bolder Industries is currently developing in Terre Haute, Indiana. When fully commissioned in 2023 this plant will be capable of processing over 3 million end-of-life tyres annually. Given the projected increase in demand for Bolder’s BolderBlack recovered carbon black and BolderOil recovered oils, the volume of tyres processed at Terre Haute could increase up to 6 million over the next two to four years.

“We view this relationship as part of our commitment to provide a core infrastructure for end-of-life tyres for our customers,” says Thomas Womble, chief executive officer of Liberty Tire. “Ultimately, the environmental savings captured from this partnership will be realised by the customers of both organisations – allowing them to achieve their sustainability mandates and goals.

“Cross-industry collaboration is critical to making the massive leaps needed to achieve our vision of transforming manufacturing sustainability worldwide,” adds Tony Wibbeler, founder and chief executive officer of Bolder Industries. “We’re thrilled to formally partner with our friends at Liberty Tire who share in our vision and are right there with us, doing the hard work it takes to shift a massive supply chain toward long-term sustainability that will have positive ripple effects for decades to come.”

US expansion

Additionally, Liberty Tire and Bolder Industries have reached a preliminary agreement on geographically expanding their partnership into the states of Illinois, South Carolina, Maryland, and Tennessee. Further expansion of the partnership between Bolder and Liberty will be driven by ongoing sales and partnership discussions with tyre, rubber, and plastics manufacturers in the USA in light of growing market demand and customer acceptance of sustainable raw materials.

“The partnership with Bolder is valuable and meaningful, allowing us to meet our ESG goals and strengthen our role as a major contributor to the circular economy,” comments Amy Brackin, vin-president of sustainability at Liberty Tire. “In terms of sustainability and environment stewardship, the benefits of this collaboration will extend to Liberty customers and the communities we serve across North America.”