News and feature articles relating to recycling, including collection, of end of life tyres.
Danish recycling and separation technology company Recycling A/S has opened a new sales office in Düsseldorf and appointed Dieter Jerschl as sales manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Dieter Jerschl joined Eldan on 1 April. In conjunction with company’s existing sales partner, Erich Niebuhr BmbH in Rheinland-Pfalz, Dieter Jerschl will coordinate all international sales activities in the Germany/Austria/Switzerland region.
TEFORS (Tyre Education for Schools) has announced plans to host a competition for school pupils in North Shield’s on Wednesday 28 April 2010. The event will be held at the United Reformed Church in Northumberland Square, North Shields, with the event commencing at 1:45pm.
The contest will see a local school awarded for its entry in a TEFORS competition which asks the question: “What can you do with a scrap tyre?” In answering this, pupils have to prepare a display and give a two minute presentation, explaining their idea to a panel of judges. This event will be the culmination of several months of hard work for David Bavaird, the man behind (TEFORS). He launched the programme in October 2009, its aim being to educate primary school pupils on the importance of tyre safety and tyre recycling.
When the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) holds its annual dinner on Friday 9 July, the industry body will honour leading companies and individuals involved in the treatment, processing or use of end of life tyres with the presentation of the inaugural Michelin Innovation Award. According to announcement released by the TRA, the award will be presented to the company or person judged to have made “the most significant innovation in this key area of the industry.”
The Hangzhou Yokohama Tire Co., Ltd factory in China’s Zhejiang province has become the first Yokohama Rubber site outside of Japan to achieve "complete zero emissions" status. After conducting on-site investigations of all contractors commissioned to dispose of waste from the passenger car tyre production plant and associated sales operation, Yokohama has verified that none of the waste is subject to direct landfill disposal.
Tyrepress.com is carrying a new Question of the Month on the homepage, dealing with one of the most controversial issues of the day: the size of the current “green fee” charged by retailers to pay for the costs of disposing of old tyres. At the nub of the issue is that collectors and recyclers believe a larger part of the green fee should be coming there way. While certain sources have pointed an accusative finger at tyre retailers, suggesting that they may be profiteering from the current fee charged to customers at the expense of tyre recovery companies, the National Tyre Distributors Association defended the position of its members by suggesting that overheads such as tyre storage costs had been underestimated in this argument. Tyrepress.com asks readers if the current Green Fee – estimated to be around £1.50 – the right price. Have your say in the debate by clicking your chosen answer and adding your comments to the forum, accessed in the top right hand corner of the homepage.
With talk of a tyre collection and recycling “crisis” in the air and with some sources pointing the finger at the retail business, the NTDA has responded by defending the so-called green fee charged by distributors. The association, which represents tyre retails and distributors, also released new survey results pointing to a slight decline in the incidence of tyre fly tipping.
In answer to accusations that some in the retail trade are profiteering from the green fee (widely accepted to be around £1.50/tyre), the recent NTDA e-zine pointed out that the process can be more costly than retailers are given credit for. Summarising the accusation against retailers and then countering it, the association wrote: “The retailer charges the motorist £1 (or maybe more) as an environmental/disposal charge. He then pays his collector 50p – ergo, he is making 50p profit. QED. Except that he isn't. If the tyre were to be removed and left where it was until the collector came and picked it up, there would be some truth in this, but if the retailer is to comply with legislation, things are a bit more complicated – and costly.”
50,000 tonnes less worn tyres will be processed this year if the current situation continues on its present trajectory. A week after the news that leading end-of-life tyre (ELT) processor Sapphire is mothballing its Avonmouth facility, the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has released a statement warning that the tyre recovery infrastructure is no longer making economic sense to the processers responsible for disposing of many of the nation’s tyre arisings.
“In recent weeks it has become clear that processor ‘gate’ prices have fallen below the levels necessary to accommodate even our current used tyre arisings. As a result, processing capacity is now experiencing a substantial reduction. The consequences of this situation are that our ability to collect and move our product to processors is becoming severely constrained as the collections recovery `pipeline’ for passenger tyres in particular experiences overload,” the statement read, adding:
“For many months now, TRA members have experienced serious pressures on operating margins. Not only have they faced competition from many less environmentally-compliant operators in the marketplace but they have been increasingly unsuccessful in achieving a viable collection rates from their own customers. As a result of this combination of circumstances the situation in the UK recovery market has become critical.”
European Metal Recycling Ltd (EMR), a global leader in recycled metal products and environmental services, has selected Bandvulc and Fulda tyres as policy fitment for its southern UK based fleet operations. Adam Wilkes, Transport Manager for EMR‘s Southern Region commented: “We have run extensive tests and trials with a variety of tyre brands at a selection of our operating centres and found the Bandvulc package to be the most cost effective solution for our business both in regards to up front costs and final PPK rates. We believe in simplicity so chose not to run casing banks or value management of assets. The Bandvulc offer was straightforward and uncomplicated and hence, more attractive”.
RUD-Erlau, purportedly the inventor of the tyre protection chains (TPC), is to show it most advanced technology at this year’s Bauma show in Munich (19 – 25 April 2010, C2 Booth 311/406). According to the company, RUD-Erlau’s TPCs are more than doubling the kilometres-life of costly OTR/earthmover tyres and aiding mobile plant safety in mines, quarries, steel foundries, demolition, scrap handling and glass recycling. Furthermore, the cost-benefits of RUD-Erlau TPCs are said to include: up to 7 times increased tyre life, assured plant availability and significant savings per tonne.
Bridgestone Europe’s updated environmental report is a document the company says sets out its “commitment to high environmental standards and the latest steps to achieve them.” This third edition of the ‘Environmental Commitment and Performance’ brochure continues the focus on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of tyre environmental impact from cradle to grave that has been a feature of the publication since its initial launch in 2006, and this year’s report also includes additional information on Bridgestone’s ‘Ecopia’ tyre range.
The leader of a fly-tipping gang has been handed down a 10-year ASBO for his connections to the fly-tipping of hundreds of thousands of tyres. According to the London Borough of Newham, Malcolm Regan (44) coordinated an operation in which tyres were dumped at locations around Newham, including outside Stratford Magistrates' Court and in a river next to the Olympic Park. During the hearing at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on 25 February 2010, District Judge Peter Wain granted the ASBO in his absence. He also branded him a “serious and prolific fly-tipper.” If he breaches the ASBO he faces a £5,000 fine or up to 5 years’ in prison.
Ecological innovations will take pride of place at the European Tyre Recycling Association’s 17th European Conference on Tyre Recycling in Brussels on 17-19 March, 2010. The themed event will comprise a “Pyrolisys Forum” during the ETRA Assembly Meeting, including the presentation of research studies on tyre recycling materials and their employment on road sector and civil enginery, rubberised bitumen and asphalt, buildings and concrete, thermoplastics, thermal and acoustic insulation.
2009 may have been a difficult year for the tyre business in general, but the new truck tyre sector faired particularly badly. And as a knock-on effect of the reduced number of miles driven by fleets in the slowing economy, retread product was also hit (for example some figures suggest UK retread output was down 20 per cent this time last year). However, this improved during the course of the year and with retreading companies securing an increasing share of fleet business, Devon-based Bandvulc tyres is looking forward to a bright future in the international logistics business.
In a period of expansion that has impressed even the truck and bus market’s leading new tyre manufacturers, in recent years Bandvulc has grown to an influential position in certain segments, particularly to supermarket fleet tyre supply. Along the way the company has developed a reputation for environmental consciousness and recently took on an expanded new tyre distribution role in order to extend the service it can offer its growing fleet customer base. Speaking to Tyres & Accessories, company director and co-founder Richard O’Connell defines three important dimensions for those in the retreading business to consider: environmental, technical and political.
Eco-mineral recycling technology firm RockTron revealed new research results at the recent Tire Technology EXPO in Cologne highlighting the possibility of reducing costs through the use of an eco-friendly, recycled filler. The company believes the results of this research, carried out by ARTIS on RockTron’s Advanced Products, will assist the tyre industry through showing that its 100 per cent recycled fillers can reduce CO2 emissions, cut costs and improve tyre performance – factors that will manufacturers’ margins and protect their bottom line.
Israel based supplier of pre-owned tyre and rubber industry machinery Pelmar Engineering Ltd. recently announced its Group Board has nominated Hagai Peled to take over the role of managing director, a position he commences following “five years of successful management positions in various departments.” In February the son of company founder Jacob Peled visited Germany to attend both the Tire Technology Expo and a meeting of Pelmar Engineering managers from around the world. During the exhibition he gave an overview of Pelmar’s global business and the options it provides for tyre businesses wishing to set up or expand.
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