News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

yderabad-based waste-commerce company Recykal is planning to expand its recycling ecosystem by setting up hyperlocal processing units for several waste streams, including paper, batteries and tires. The company, which operates a technology-driven platform connecting waste generators, recyclers and other waste management stakeholders, said the expansion is intended to bring processing closer to the locations where waste is generated. Recykal has raised $22 million, or around ₹162.8 crore, to strengthen its technology platform and broaden its operations. The proposed expansion into tire waste could support more organized collection and recycling of end-of-life tires, while the wider hyperlocal model may improve transparency, reduce transport distances and create a more decentralized circular economy network for recyclable materials.

The global retread tire market is projected to grow from $10.8 billion in 2025 to $18.5 billion by 2035, according to a new market intelligence study published by Radial Insights. The forecast points to a compound annual growth rate of 5.58% over the period, with demand driven mainly by commercial fleets seeking lower tire costs, longer casing life and improved cost per mile. Retread tires are presented as an important circular economy solution because they extend the useful life of tire casings and reduce the need for repeated new tire purchases. The study says retreads typically cost 30% to 50% less than comparable new tires, making them attractive for trucking, logistics, mining, construction, public transport and aviation operators that consume tires at high rates.

Belgian recycling equipment manufacturer Lefort has acquired Aljon, an Iowa-based producer of balers and crushers for the scrap metal and end-of-life vehicle recycling industry. The acquisition strengthens Lefort America, which was launched in 2014, and expands the group’s presence in the North American recycling equipment market. Founded in 1963, Aljon has built a long-standing position in the design and manufacture of equipment used by scrap processors, automotive recyclers and landfill operators. Lefort said the transaction supports its international growth strategy and consolidates its position among global suppliers of recycling equipment, including shears, balers, shredders, crushers and machinery for high-volume material recovery operations.

New consumer research commissioned by Tyre Stewardship Australia has found strong public support for national rules requiring used tires to be properly collected and recycled. The YouGov study, conducted in March 2026 among 1,051 vehicle owners, found that 91% support national rules for used tire collection and recycling, while 92% believe the tire industry should take greater responsibility. TSA said the findings strengthen the case for a whole-of-supply-chain mandatory tire product stewardship scheme covering importers, retailers, collectors, recyclers and other participants. The survey also found concerns over transparency, illegal dumping and disposal fees, with many motorists unsure what happens to their old tires after replacement. TSA said the results show that Australia’s voluntary approach is no longer enough to deliver the accountability, traceability and environmental outcomes consumers expect.

Scandinavian Enviro Systems has resolved on a directed issue of shares and warrants to Alumni Capital Limited under its existing financing arrangement, raising approximately SEK 2.5 million before transaction costs. The issue follows a drawdown request under the equity-based investment agreement entered into on May 22, 2026, and amended on August 26, 2026. Enviro will issue 22,222,222 new shares at a subscription price of SEK 0.11439 per share and 1,769,887 warrants to Alumni Capital. The company said the directed issue is intended to secure financing for its ongoing company reorganization in a time- and cost-efficient manner. The financing comes as Enviro continues efforts to stabilize its business, which is focused on patented tire recycling technology, recovered carbon black and the recovery of valuable raw materials from end-of-life tires.

IEPA has rejected Anzu Power’s permit application for a planned facility in Alton, Illinois, after finding that the submission lacked complete and sufficient information. According to documents reported by The Telegraph, Anzu Power applied in May through consultant Tectrix.io for a facility at 8 Cut Street that would process recycled rubber chips purchased from authorized tire recycling and transportation companies. The company has described the project as a carbon-negative waste-to-energy facility, but IEPA reviewers said the application did not provide enough detail on the site, process, emissions, equipment, material handling, storage or environmental impacts. The case has drawn attention because Anzu Power had earlier claimed support or approval while city officials and residents questioned whether the proposed tire pyrolysis and power-generation project had the necessary environmental permits and local authorization.

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.