News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

A Michigan road project has used more than 7,000 scrap tires in rubber-modified asphalt to pave a 0.8-mile section of Ellsworth Road in Pittsfield Township, later earning national recognition for green construction. The project was carried out in Washtenaw County through a partnership involving the Washtenaw County Road Commission, Michigan Technological University and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Cadillac Asphalt paved the section between the bridge over I-94 and Carpenter Road using asphalt containing ground tire rubber. In June 2026, EGLE said the project received the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s 2025 Quality in Construction Award in the Green Category, recognizing its use of recycled tire materials in pavement and its contribution to sustainable infrastructure.

TRA will use its 2026 Annual Day to press for stronger UK enforcement on waste tire exports, T8 exemptions, green procurement and domestic circular economy capacity. The event, scheduled for September 15, 2026, at Coombe Abbey Hotel in Coventry, will bring together the UK tire recycling and recovery industry under the theme “Giving Real Meaning to the Circular Economy.” According to the operational note, the conference will ask whether the UK Government is prepared to match circular economy rhetoric with statutory enforcement, end whole tire exports and support domestic green industrial resilience. TRA says more than 1,000 tonnes of whole waste tires leave British ports every day, while at least 150,000 tonnes of licensed UK tire recycling and remanufacturing capacity remains idle. The association argues that stronger export controls, the withdrawal of T8 exemptions, better documentation enforcement and public procurement for recycled content, retreads and rubberized asphalt are needed to build a more resilient domestic tire recovery system.

In the presentation, “Turning TPO into a Higher-Value, Certifiable Feedstock,” Weibold consultant Franklin Raj discussed how TPO producers can move beyond traditional industrial-fuel markets and develop higher-value downstream pathways.

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Over the past 12–14 months, the regulatory landscape for tire pyrolysis oil (TPO) has changed more rapidly than at almost any point since TPO began moving from an alternative fuel into a serious refinery and petrochemical feedstock. RED III, revised ISCC rules, the recognition of the fossil fraction of end-of-life tires as a potential recycled carbon fuel feedstock, and new end-of-waste pathways in England and France have all moved the market forward.

Andreas Kyriakou, Senior Partner at Robert Weibold GmbH, will speak at Global Polymer Summit 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky, sharing his perspective on the recovered carbon black industry and its evolving market landscape. Robert Weibold GmbH will participate in Global Polymer Summit 2026 (GPS 2026), taking place from September 28–30, 2026, at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Enviro said the reorganization plan includes a proposed debt settlement corresponding to a composition of up to approximately MSEK 35 in total. Priority and non-priority creditors, other than related-party creditors without priority, would receive 30% of the nominal amount of their claims. Related-party creditors without priority would receive no payment under the proposal.

Tokai Carbon has raised its full-year 2026 forecast after first-half results came in ahead of its earlier expectations, with the Japanese carbon materials producer citing a projected recovery in automotive and tire industry demand. The company now expects full-year net sales of Yen386 billion, about €2 billion, up from its previous forecast of Yen370 billion and 19.5% higher than 2025 sales. Operating income is now forecast at Yen35 billion, compared with the previous forecast of Yen28 billion and Yen25.85 billion in 2025. Tokai said the revision reflects expected demand recovery in the automotive and tire markets, which are key customers for its carbon black segment. The update is relevant to the tire industry because carbon black remains one of the main reinforcing materials used in tire production, and demand trends in this segment often reflect broader movements in tire manufacturing and automotive supply chains.

Continental has developed a concept tire containing around 43% recycled materials as part of the EU-funded ZEvRA project, which focuses on circularity in electric vehicles. ZEvRA stands for “Zero Emission Electric Vehicles Enabled by Harmonized Circularity” and brings together 28 partners, with Continental participating as the only tire manufacturer in the consortium. The concept tire includes recycled tall oil, steel, rubber from end-of-life tires and polyester fibers made from recycled PET bottles. Continental said the development highlights what is technically possible today while also showing that industrial-scale use of recycled materials requires reliable regulatory frameworks, sufficient supply of high-quality recycled raw materials and scalable recycling technologies. The tire also achieved the highest rating for the EU rolling resistance label, demonstrating the company’s aim to combine sustainability with performance.