Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) has expanded its remit to include a Demonstration and Infrastructure stream to grow the end market for tyre-derived products.
Funding Made Available to Grow Market for Tyre-Derived Products
The new stream will support projects that offer significant domestic use of tyre-derived products and demonstrate their benefits and viability to potential end users and product specifiers.
A minimum 1:1 funding criterion is required for all projects, with a minimum funding level of $50,000 excluding GST and maximum of $300,000 excluding GST, however, considerations will be given for larger or smaller project cash contributions on a dollar for dollar basis if the case can be made for the achievement of greater outcomes.
Applications will be assessed relative to the volume of tyres consumed. Projects that can demonstrate a strong correlation between the delivery of the project and ongoing consumption of tyre-derived products will also be strongly considered.
Projects must have collaborative partnerships between industry, research bodies and end users such as councils, road authorities, manufacturers or civil engineering and construction companies to demonstrate a realistic market application.
Examples include the testing performed by state road authorities of the application of the newly released Australian Asphalt Pavement Association national specifications for crumbed rubber containing asphalt.
Other projects include the University of Melbourne’s trial to develop an optimum blend of permeable paving that uses recycled tyres to create footpaths, bike paths, carparks and low volume traffic roads which also can provide water to nearby trees.
TSA has already committed more than $3 million in support of research and development projects that focus on finding new domestic uses for tyre-derived products.