Around 40-50% of end-of-life tyres removed from vehicles in Russia are currently recycled, reports public company Russian Environmental Operator. This means that around 500 thousand tonnes of old tyres are recycled, mainly into low-grade products such as large rubber crumb and rubber chips for floor surfacing.
On 29 March, Scandinavian Enviro Systems and Antin Infrastructure Partners announced the formation of a joint venture. Michelin is supporting this JV, which it expects will “create the world’s first large-scale tyre recycling group.”
As Tyrepress reported on 21 March, Zeppelin Systems has recently entered into a number of tyre recycling partnerships. It considers these firms key players in its new Zeppelin Sustainable Tire Alliance, and has shared details about its new partners:
On 10 March, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province’s environmental protection department accepted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) document of Zhongce Qingquan’s waste tyre treatment project. After completing this project, the subsidiary of ZC Rubber will be able to process 20,000 tons of waste tyres (crumb rubber) per year.
Pyrum Innovations will soon begin work on a new facility not far from its main plant in Germany. It reports that the town council in Homburg has unanimously approved the sale of a section of land to Pyrum for the purpose of setting up a new pyrolysis plant. The company hopes the planning and approval process can now “begin as soon as possible.”
Genan has appointed Michael Christensen as its new application development manager. Christensen lives in Denmark and has more than 40 years of experience in tyre and rubber recycling. Effective 1 February 2023, Christensen will act as the link between sales, marketing and innovation in Genan.
Pyrum Innovations has marked an “important milestone” in the expansion of its main plant by installing the two pyrolysis reactors needed to complement the site’s existing production line with a further two. It will soon begin testing the installed components by carrying out loop checks as the first step in the cold commissioning process.
Continental’s foundational support of electric-powered off-road racing series Extreme E, whose second season ended on 27 November 2022 in Uruguay, was inspired by the all-encompassing ethos of sustainability. Now the tyre supplier has joined the globetrotting series’ participation in a variety of technology and environmental sustainability programmes by “turning racing tyres into living space.” Conti’s used Extreme E tyres are now being used in the construction of a new basketball court in Hanover for children to play and train. The manufacturer is supplying rubber paving stones as a donation.
Australia’s government has included tyres in the list of products that industry must ensure are handled and ultimately disposed of in an environmentally appropriate manner. Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek added tyres to the Minister’s product stewardship priority list for 2022–23. This list was published on 8 November.
Carlton Forest Group has appointed Mark Horobin its chief financial officer. Horobin, who is ACA (ICAEW) qualified, has enjoyed a successful career in finance with his roles taking him to Denmark, UAE, and Italy in addition to the UK.
Greenval Technologies has announced plans to invest 20 million euros in the construction of tyre pyrolysis/energy generation plant in Aspe, Spain. The facility is scheduled to start running in 2023 and will generate more than 100 jobs during construction plus 30 ongoing jobs at the facility. Aspe City Council is said to be already studying the proposal in light of the necessary licenses.
Mercedes-Benz is starting to equip its EQE and S-Class models with door handles containing materials gleaned from end-of-life tyres, and those involved in the project have been acknowledged for their contribution. Pyrolysis-based recycling specialist Pyrum Innovations, together with BASF, Mercedes-Benz and Witte Automotive, received a Materialica Design + Technology Award 2022 at this month’s eMove360 ° trade fair.
Authorities in Germany have granted Pyrum Innovations AG approval to start operating the two new production lines at its main plant in Dillingen. Obtaining this official permit is a significant milestone for Pyrum as it verifies the approvability of its series production plants and means that future facilities can be built without facing official restrictions.
ZC Rubber claims to have been the first tyre company in China to recycle, reuse and repurpose its products, beginning its journey in 2005 with the establishment of its Recycling Technology and Service Center. The manufacturer is expanding its circular economy activities in 2022 with a new 5,000 tonne per annum tyre pyrolysis processing line as well as a Zhongce Recycling Technology production line that can produce 7,500 tonnes of liquid recycled rubber a year.
To meet growing demand for mining tyre recycling and recycled rubber products, specifically carbon black and rCB, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group and Mitsui & Co. have entered into a joint venture commercialise the Kal Tire thermal conversion recycling facility in Chile from early 2023. Activities there will act as a “foundation” as the venture pursues “opportunities to bring OTR tyre recycling solutions to mining regions around the world.”
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Zhongce Qingquan
Genan
Continental
Greenval Technologies