Alcoa delivered the first used conveyor belts from its mining operations to the Tyrecycle facility in East Rockingham
The first reel of used conveyor belt from Alcoa was delivered to the recycling facility on September 24, where the steel wire used in the belts will be reclaimed, and the rubber will be turned into crumb, suitable for a range of uses, including as an additive for road construction.
The delivery follows the 2024 launch of an ongoing off-the-road (OTR) tyre recycling contract between Alcoa and Tyrecycle. It is part of Alcoa’s initiative to reduce, recycle and reuse waste from its mining and refining operations in WA.
According to Alcoa Global Program Manager Water and Waste, Nicole King, about 32km of used conveyor belt will be delivered to the East Rockingham facility over the coming months. “This new opportunity will allow us to recycle 80 reels of used conveyor belt in the initial program with Tyrecycle processing about 100 tonnes a week into crumb,” Nicole said. “That’s alongside more than 300 tonnes of our used OTR tyres a year.”
Tyrecycle Head of Trading, Mining and Strategic Development, Ashley Battilana, said the company focused on circular recycling solutions to allow used rubber to be converted into new, value-added products. “Initially, we’ll produce rubber crumb, like we do with tyres, that can be repurposed into a broad range of applications such as polymers for bitumen, granules used in sporting and playground surfaces, adhesives and moulded rubber products,” Ashley said. “Our vision is to continue driving innovation so we can integrate recycled material into new conveyor belt manufacturing in the future.”
