News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Public consultations aimed at discussing collection and transportation of scrap tires were organized by the Environmental Quality Board of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA). Individuals who wanted to suggest some improvements in waste tire management had a chance to voice their concerns until February 3.

European Rubber Journal hosts this year’s the Future Tire Conference on June 11-12 in Germany’s Cologne. Potential attendees are now welcome to register and secure their place at the events that will unite tire industry key players and specialists at Leonardo Royal Hotel Köln – Am Stadtwald. During the conference, visitors will learn about the importance of sustainability when building and improving tire business, no matter if stakeholders are involved in tire production, tire recycling or supply sectors, as circular economy is expected to have an impact on all. The event will provide an insight into managing recycling considering nascent business opportunities in tire recycling, carbon print reduction and taking into account human health and environment protection.

The owner of a Malaysian unsanctioned tire recycling plant at Pasir Gudang has been charged under Section 34B of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 in mid-March for polluting the Sungai Kim Kim area and being responsible for chemical poisoning among people who inhaled the hazardous fumes. As a result of his actions and the plant’s operation, around 500 people, including students, had to receive medical treatment after waste dumping that took place early March. The poisoning made some of the victims faint and struggle from breathing problems.

Swedish tire pyrolysis equipment manufacturer and tire recycler Scandinavian Enviro Systems has presented its new forecast for recovered carbon black (rCB) market which is expected to reach over $490 million by 2023. This can be explained by a projected demand growth for recovered carbon black and certified carbon black produced by Enviro; the materials are expected to see demand increase due to a deficit of virgin carbon black.

To handle waste such as scrap tires, sometimes one may want to seek an alternative to recycling – tire pyrolysis. This process involves decomposing of car tires by incinerating them at a high temperature at the same time removing oxygen. Via this method, it is possible to obtain gas, oil and alternative charcoal known as biochar or recovered carbon black (rCB) – the recycled materials will be applied to produce new goods and generate energy.

ELDAN reports that it has many interesting internal and external projects in the pipeline for 2019. “We predict that 2019 will be a very good year for ELDAN and the recycling industry in general. The interest in tyre and cable recycling equipment will continue to increase. In addition to 2018, we also see a large increase in the demand for WEEE/e-waste recycling equipment. We are currently developing small capacity WEEE recycling lines to meet regional requests.” comments Dr. Reftman. “At the moment, the production team in Denmark is working full speed to deliver orders for customers. To meet the heavy increase in orders, we are planning to expand the production facility there.”

Azerbaijani authorities will now seek investors from abroad to carry out recycling initiatives, including scrap tire recycling. This is expected to boost the national recycling sector. On March 12, ADA University has hosted a special event dedicated to the recycling plant project in Balakhani Industrial Park; the university has teamed up with the managing company Tamiz Shahar OJSC, and this step was endorsed by its chairman Etibar Abbasov. However, according to Abbasov, Azerbaijan faces challenges connected to tire recycling.

A final order to liquidate the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (Redisa) – a body responsible for tire collection and tire recycling – issued two years ago has been repealed by the South African Supreme Court of Appeal following numerous allegations that the project was involved in corrupt schemes. Prior to reaching the verdict, the judges had a dispute as the majority claimed that there was no just reason for the environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa to bring the case to court due to lacking evidence that Redisa’s directors and the initiative’s ally Kusaga Taka Consulting (KT) conducted any violations.

George Monbiot, a columnist for The Guardian stated that Britain was avoiding tire recycling in the country and was sending instead huge cargos of scrap tires to India. Once the exported waste tires reached facilities in India, they were processed into fuel by means of pyrolysis in most cases. According to the journo’s study, the British authorities haven’t been checking that scrap tires actually were handled at the legal premises and were absolutely safe to the environment. Thus, he concluded that the tire processing was not being monitored carefully enough.