CTS Tyre Recycling has officially opened its new recycling facility in Neerabup, while calling for stronger measures to increase the recovery of end-of-life tyres across the state
The CTS facility, opened by WA Environment Minister Matt Swinbourn, represents an investment of more than $50 million and is the only site in Australia capable of processing all tyre sizes, including giant mining haul truck tyres. The plant also handles conveyor belt rubber, marine fenders and industrial rubber hoses that would otherwise be sent to landfill.
CTS began producing rubber crumb and recycled steel from end-of-life tyres in early 2025 and has since expanded into manufacturing recycled products under its Throughcycle Rubber brand. These include soft-fall flooring, acoustic underlay and transport matting, while recovered rubber is also being used in road resurfacing and moulded products such as paving bricks, speed humps and wheel stops.
Managing Director Leigh Cometti acknowledged support from the federal and state governments through the Recycling Modernisation Fund, which contributed $8 million towards the project, but warned that the long-term success of tyre recycling in Western Australia will depend on increasing feedstock supply.
“There are fears that at least one facility such as ours could close down due to a lack of support for improved tyre recycling regulation, and that would be a gigantic backwards step for environmental and circular economy outcomes in WA,” said Cometti.
He noted that more than $22 million in Recycling Modernisation Fund grants has been allocated to end-of-life tyre recycling projects in Western Australia, supporting the development of advanced recycling infrastructure across the state. However, Cometti argued that tyre recyclers continue to face challenges securing sufficient material due to the ongoing disposal and stockpiling of tyres in regional areas and at mine sites.
CTS is calling for the state’s existing metropolitan tyre landfill ban to be extended to regional areas, farms and mine sites. The company also challenged suggestions that Australia lacks viable end markets for recycled tyre materials, pointing to its own investment in downstream manufacturing and remanufacturing.
The call from CTS echoes concerns raised elsewhere in the Western Australian tyre recycling sector. In our feature published earlier this year, Ashley Battilana, Head of Trading, Mining and Strategic Development at Tyrecycle, noted that while WA has seen significant investment in recycling infrastructure, processing capacity now exceeds the volume of tyres entering the recycling stream. With companies including CTS, Tyrecycle and Rubbergem all investing in advanced recycling facilities, Battilana argued that extending tyre landfill bans to align with other Australian states would help unlock additional feedstock, increase recovery rates and provide greater certainty for recyclers, noting that the industry’s next phase of growth will depend on policy measures that support collection, recycling and end-market development, particularly in areas such as rubberised roads and mining sector participation.
