News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Sumitomo Rubber Industries announced the closure of its tire manufacturing plant in Tonawanda, New York, ending nearly a century of operations and eliminating 1,550 union and salaried jobs. The company cited financial losses, competitive international market pressures, and unsuccessful cost-control efforts as the primary reasons for the decision.

With the boom of electric vehicles (EVs) and world-wide focus on sustainability, the demand for high-performing, durable and sustainable-material tires has increased. Goodyear's EDS tire is engineered specifically for EVs, delivering superior wet braking and handling, reduced noise, lower rolling resistance and long mileage.

According to TSBC, Ocean Legacy Foundation (OLF) and Let’s Talk Trash have made remarkable strides in cleaning British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast and surrounding islands, removing large amounts of marine debris, including Styrofoam-filled end-of-life tires, plastic waste, and fishing gear, over the past seven years. Their collaborative efforts not only protect marine ecosystems but also advance recycling innovation.

Global leading tire company Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook Tire) has commenced the mass production of its tires utilizing three types of ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) PLUS certified carbon black. The carbon black, derived from end-of-life tire pyrolysis oil, was developed through the Tire-to-Tire Circular Economy Model consortium.

Decades of partnership between Liberty Tire Recycling - a prominent nation-wide network of tire recycling facilities in the United States – and Walmart demonstrate a prime example of circularity. Liberty Tire Recycling reports that the tires they collect from Walmart and Sam's Club Service Centers are repurposed into recycled rubber products, like rubber mulch and garden edging, that go right back onto shelves at those stores.

A subsidiary of Bolder Industries will recycle over four million end-of-life tires per year at a new facility planned for Antwerp, Belgium. Supported by a €32 million grant from the European Commission’s EU Innovation Fund and an additional €2 million from the Flanders region, the plant is slated to begin operations by 2027.

Despite the teams’ remarkable engagement and the Group's efforts, the viability of the two plants could not be preserved. The two sites have been severely impacted by the structural transformation of the Passenger car & Light truck and Truck tire markets and worsening competitiveness of Europe, notably due to inflation and rising energy prices. This decision has been made as a last resort, once all alternative solutions and scenarios have been analyzed and evaluated.

Warsaw, Poland – November 4, 2024 – Contec S.A. is excited to announce the completion of its third and fourth pyrolysis lines, marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth and execution within budget. This milestone from last year's strategic investment includes installing and commissioning our third and fourth pyrolysis lines. These new lines, which are already operational, are a step forward in Contec’s mission to provide sustainable, circular products to the automotive and tire industries.

Following Labour’s first budget, UK industry call for reforms to improve environmental management, secure British industry and contribute to national wealth creation Friday 01 November, the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA), the Imported Tyre Manufacturers Association, the British Tyre Manufacturers Association and the National Tyre Distributors Association have written a joint letter to the DEFRA Secretary, Steve Reed MP.