The Leading Journal for the Tyre Recycling Sector

The Leading Journal for the Tyre Recycling Sector

Home Blog Page 2

TRAC Announces the Programme for the 2025 Rubber Recycling Symposium

The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) is proud to announce the program for the highly anticipated 2025 Rubber Recycling Symposium that will take place October 8–9 in Calgary, Alberta

Recognised as a cornerstone event for professionals across the tyre and rubber recycling sector, the Symposium brings together industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers to advance sustainable solutions and foster collaboration.

This year’s Symposium promises to be an essential event for professionals across the tire and rubber recycling sectors, including companies involved in tire manufacturing, rubber recycling, manufacturing of products from recycled rubber, end-of-life tyre stewardship organisations, governments, and equipment manufacturers to participate in what had become one of the largest events of its kind. The event offers an exceptional lineup of sessions and unparalleled networking opportunities. Attendees can explore full event details, including registration options, hotel accommodations, and sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities on the event’s main page.

The Event Program

The 2025 Rubber Recycling Symposium will tackle critical topics shaping the industry’s present and future. The sessions include:

  • Global Perspectives on Tyre Recycling: Europe, Canada, and the U.S.
  • Spotlight on Tire Chemistry: Innovations in 6PPD Alternatives & Beyond
  • Navigating Canada’s Plastics Registry: What Tyre Sector Stakeholders Need to Know
  • Advancing Rubber Modified Asphalt and Tyre Derived Aggregate Research and Implementation
  • The Global Threat to Tyre Retreading
  • Sustainability in Tyre Manufacturing
  • What’s New in Non-Mechanical Tyre Recycling Technologies
  • CEO Panel, and more.

Why You Should Attend

This premier event attracts an international audience of industry leaders, creating a dynamic forum for collaboration, learning, and networking. Whether you’re involved in tire manufacturing, recycling, stewardship programs, or government policy, the Symposium offers unique opportunities to:

  • Connect with global industry players and decision-makers.
  • Gain actionable insights from expert-led panels and discussions.
  • Discover innovative solutions to today’s most pressing challenges.
  • Strengthen your organisation’s position in a sustainable future.

Full details about individual registrations, hotel booking, as well as sponsor and exhibitor opportunities can be found through the main event page.

Direct Event Links:

Secure Your Place Today!

Interest for the 2025 Symposium is at an all-time high, and space is limited. Register now to guarantee your spot and benefit from early bird rates. Sponsorship and exhibitor packages are also available for organizations wishing to increase their visibility within the rubber recycling community.

Should you have questions regarding the event, please contact Michal Majernik, mmajernik@tracanada.ca.

Arrigoni Ambiental NFU: Chilean Innovation

Arrigoni Ambiental plays a role in the dynamic landscape of end-of-life tyre (ELT) recovery in Latin America

One of the most emblematic cases is Arrigoni Ambiental NFU SpA, a company founded in September 2019 as an alliance between the third generation of the Arrigoni business group and a pioneering team in pyrolysis technologies in the country.

This feature is based on an interview with Mauricio Bravo Carvallo, General Manager of Arrigoni Ambiental NFU, who shared in detail the company’s vision, progress, and projections as it seeks to position itself as a regional benchmark for circular economy solutions.

Driven by the entry into force of Chile’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Law, Arrigoni Ambiental NFU’s purpose has been clear from the start: to provide a concrete, scalable, and triple-impact solution for the treatment of ELTs.

Technology at the Service of Transformation

From its operational plant in San Francisco de Mostazal, located in the O’Higgins Region about 65 kilometres south of Santiago, Arrigoni Ambiental NFU has deployed a processing capacity of nearly 10,000 tonnes of tyres per year, representing approximately 7% of the country’s total generation. Its operation is based on three semi-continuous pyrolysis reactors, which convert a complex waste stream into industrially usable by-products: tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO), recovered carbon black (rCB), and recycled steel.

But beyond its infrastructure, what sets this company apart is its vision: to develop technological capabilities and strategic alliances that enable these by-products to replace virgin materials in key sectors such as mining, the chemical industry, construction, and energy.

Applied Innovation and Territorial Development

One of the company’s most significant breakthroughs has been the production of activated carbon from rCB, used in filters to remove heavy metals from contaminated water. More recently, the company developed a chemical additive derived from TPO, designed for molybdenum flotation processes in mining—currently undergoing industrial validation with a major Chilean mining company.

ANIR visit to Chilean Arrigoni plant
ANIR visit to Chilean Arrigoni plant

These efforts are complemented by a strong territorial engagement strategy: local job creation, partnerships with technical high schools and regional universities, and participation in environmental decontamination plans. Arrigoni Ambiental NFU is not only treating waste—it is helping to build local human capital and productive ecosystems, anchoring the circular economy in the territory.

Systemic Coordination and Regional Outlook

The company is an active member of ANIR (where it chairs the tyre sector committee) and APRIMIN, and it maintains applied research agreements with the University of Concepción, the University of Talca, and the Catholic University of Maule. It also participates in NFU-Evolución, a technological program promoted by CORFO, reinforcing its role as a bridge between industry, science, and public policy.

Within this framework, Arrigoni Ambiental NFU has offered a constructive critique of the EPR Law’s implementation: while the regulatory framework has been essential for activating new business models, further progress is needed in areas such as certifications, recycled content requirements, and incentives for the use of recovered products. As the company puts it, “Circular economy is not achieved merely by treating waste—it becomes real when recovered by-products find markets that match them in scale and demand.”

Growth Plans and Expansion

Looking ahead to 2026, Arrigoni Ambiental NFU plans to triple its installed capacity. This growth strategy includes expanding its current plant and building a second facility in northern Chile — a critical area due to its high volume of ELT generation and its strong connection to the mining industry.

Both projects have already been approved at the investment level and are currently moving forward with environmental and sectoral permitting processes. The goal is clear: to respond efficiently and effectively to the growing demands of the EPR Law, delivering solutions that are both industrially viable and environmentally responsible.

A Replicable Model for Latin America

Arrigoni Ambiental NFU aspires to be recognised internationally as a serious, innovative, and consistent actor. A model that proves it is possible to align circularity, innovation, and territorial development in a single strategy. Its experience offers a roadmap for other countries in the region seeking to accelerate their transitions toward more sustainable production systems.

In a continent where the waste challenge remains urgent, experiences like this help move from diagnosis to action—with technology, alliances, and a long-term vision.

Argentina and Rubber: 50 Years of Industrial Institution

Argentina offers a consolidated experience in the field of tyre management in Latin America, where collaboration between industry and the state often suffers from institutional fragility or discontinuity

It is a story of technical cooperation, pioneering regulation, and a sectoral commitment to sustainability. In 2025, the Argentine Tyre Industry Chamber (Cámara de la Industria del Neumático, CIN) marks 50 years since its founding — a milestone that reflects its evolution from a traditional trade body into a key player in both industrial and environmental policy.

Since its creation in 1975, CIN has represented the main tyre manufacturers with local production facilities, promoting quality standards aligned with international regulations such as the ECE (UNECE) norms and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) standards. Over the decades, CIN has built a technical dialogue platform with public institutions, establishing a long-term strategic vision for the sector that transcends corporate interest defence.

Argentina CIN

Circular Economy: A Pioneering Partnership

One of the most significant milestones was the establishment of the Permanent Commission on Tyre Recycling, formalised in 2003 through INTI Resolution No. 331. This commission brings together national and Mercosur manufacturers — including Bridgestone, Fate, Pirelli, Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, Titan, and Prometeon — with the INTI Rubber Research and Development Centre. It has become a leading technical forum for sustainable end-of-life tyre (ELT) management.

Among the most tangible results of this collaboration is the creation of Regomax S.A., launched in 2010 at the North III Environmental Complex operated by CEAMSE (the State-run Ecological Coordination for Greater Buenos Aires). Regomax has become a regional benchmark for ELT material recovery, proving that large-scale solutions can be achieved through public-private cooperation, based on local technology and a circular approach.

This trajectory led to Argentina’s first national legal framework for sustainable tyre management — Resolution No. 523, issued in 2013 by the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development. A decade later, in 2023, INTI Resolution No. 472 further strengthened this path by institutionalizing the Commission as a permanent advisory body to national ministries, formally recognising its role in shaping circular economy and complex waste policies.

Tyre Retreading: A Strategic Link in the Chain

While recycling has received the most public attention, it is essential to highlight the work led by INTI together with ARAN — the Argentine Tyre Retreading Association — in promoting retreading (commonly referred to as reconstrucción in the Argentine context). This process extends tyre lifespan, reduces operational costs, and prevents thousands of tonnes of waste each year, particularly in heavy transport and mining sectors.

A key milestone is the projection for 2025: ARAN and INTI expect to reach 25 nationally certified retreading plants. This effort strengthens sector-wide quality and traceability standards, positioning retreading as a strategic solution to logistics, environmental, and market challenges. More than a technical achievement, it represents a qualitative leap in the institutional consolidation of retreading as a legitimate industrial activity with a low environmental footprint.

Moreover, retreading holds a privileged place in the waste hierarchy established by both European legislation and Chile’s EPR Law, which prioritize reuse over recycling or energy recovery. Fully integrating retreading into Argentina’s industrial and environmental policy would require:

  • Sustainable public procurement programs prioritizing retreaded tyres.
  • Fiscal incentives and green financing lines for retreading companies.
  • National technical certification and traceability systems.
  • Explicit recognition of its role in Argentina’s carbon neutrality goals.

A Model with Regional Potential

Argentina’s experience — built on solid technical institutions and a culture of multi-sector dialogue — offers valuable lessons for other Latin American countries that have yet to consolidate ELT management systems. CIN and INTI have sustained, with ups and downs but without structural interruption, a model that aligns industrial policy, technological development, and environmental regulation.

Moving forward, it is essential to further integrate the retreading sector into national circular economy strategies — not as a marginal solution, but as a central tool for sustainable production, energy efficiency, and local job creation.

Celebrating 50 years of history is about looking back. It is about reinforcing the platform from which to build a future where rubber is no longer treated as waste — but becomes, with each extended cycle, a symbol of a more circular, competitive, and territorially rooted industry.

SIGNUS Processed the Equivalent Of 27 Million Car Tyres In 2024

SIGNUS managed the equivalent of 27,337,351 tyres, which could be used to build around 1,139 circuits the size of the Jerez Circuit

During 2024, SIGNUS managed 222,406 tons of end-of-life tires. Taking into account the average weight of a passenger car tyre of 8.1 kg, this would be equivalent to 27,337,351 tires, which could be used to build around 1,139 circuits the size of the Jerez Circuit.

Of the total collected, 1 in 8 tyres was used for reuse (used tyres or retreads) (12.5%), 1 in 5 tyres was recycled into products for different applications (48.5%), and 1 in 5 tyres was used for energy recovery, mainly as a substitute for fossil fuels (39%).

Currently, among the main uses for end-of-life tyre (ELT) material in 2024 are 25,767 tons for the construction of approximately 260 soccer fields, 19,268 tons for the construction of approximately 3,900 playgrounds, and 3,714 tons for 350 kilometers of roads, among others. Also notable is the incorporation of new tyre treatment technologies, such as the pyrolysis process, which produces new secondary raw materials such as recovered carbon black and pyrolytic oil.

SIGNUS promotes solutions to the future European restriction on microplastics

Both pyrolysis technology and the development of bituminous mixtures with rubber from ELT for streets and roads are currently occupying SIGNUS’s greatest attention, given the imminent challenge of finding alternatives to the main application of recycled rubber—currently as infill in artificial turf fields—which accounts for around 50% of the recycled rubber produced annually.

October 2031 is the date set by the European Commission to ban the marketing of polymeric infill material smaller than 5 mm, as it falls within the definition of microplastic, due to the size and composition of the recycled rubber particles.

In light of this, SIGNUS has carried out the PERSEUS Project with Campezo, Moeve, and Asfaltia, funded by the CDTI (Centre for the Development of Industrial Property).

This project will allow the direct addition of rubber granules to asphalt mixtures, replacing part of the aggregate used. An experimental section has already been extended on a road belonging to the Provincial Council of Vizcaya.

Pyrolysis continues to be a challenge in Spain. There are several emerging projects capable of obtaining materials such as carbon black, pyrolytic oils, and gases for the process itself, but these are still in insufficient quantities and qualities for use in the manufacturing process of new tires. This currently constitutes one of the main challenges in the sector.

SIGNUS Innovation and Projects to Expand the Uses of Recycled Rubber

In addition to these two uses, SIGNUS continues to develop projects and studies focused on consolidating and seeking new alternatives to the use of recycled rubber from tires, something that is now even more important given this ban. During 2024, SIGNUS has worked, among other projects, on the use of recycled rubber in the manufacture of thermoplastics (GREENFU project). SIGNUS has also published a guide on the use of recycled rubber from tyres in cities under the name CITYRE, which outlines the various uses that recycled rubber can have in the urban environment.

Tolins Invests in Tyre Recycling

Tolins Tyre Limited has established a new wholly owned subsidiary, Terra Rubber Private Limited, as part of its plans to diversify into the tyre and rubber recycling sector

The new company was officially formed on July 28, 2025, and is entirely owned by Tolins.

The initiative is intended to expand Tolins’ involvement in the rubber value chain through activities such as collection, processing, and recycling of used tyres and rubber products. Terra Rubber will utilise mechanical, thermal, and chemical methods to recycle waste into reusable materials with an emphasis on environmentally sustainable practices.

The subsidiary will produce and trade recycled materials including reclaim rubber, crumb rubber, rubber powder, pyrolysis oil, carbon black, and steel wire. These materials are designated for use in Tolins’ manufacturing operations and to lessen reliance on external suppliers.

Tolins noted that this effort aligns with its objectives for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance and aims to ensure the supply of high-quality inputs for its operations. Powdered rubber, one of the key outputs, is planned to support backward integration for Tolins.

Terra Rubber Private Limited has been set up with an authorised and paid-up capital of 100,000 Rupeesees consisting of 10,000 equity shares of 10 Rupees each. The registered office is located at Mini Industrial Estate, Kalady, Kerala.

Tolins acquired the entire shareholding through cash consideration.

Vecoplan Invests over 5 Million Euro in Bad Marienberg

New assembly area at Vecoplan creates space for heavy machinery assembly

Vecoplan AG, a leading provider of machinery and plant solutions for shredding, conveying, and processing, is allocating over five million euros to expand its principal facility in Bad Marienberg. The company has increased the size of Plant I by 1,900 m² and invested in advanced production equipment. In response to rising demands in production and logistics, Vecoplan is enhancing assembly capacity and constructing a state-of-the-art warehouse for long-span goods.

“We are continuing to witness a high level of demand,” says Vecoplan’s CEO Werner Berens. “We’ve had to create additional space, especially in preassembly, to meet the growing need for our heavy machinery.” The expanded warehouse will offer 1,900 m² of additional floor space, of which 850 m² will be devoted to preassembly. The existing warehouse concept was completely revised in order to make efficient use of the new space. In past years, Vecoplan had already invested in new machinery for material preparation. A key element in the restructuring is the new warehouse for long-span goods, which, in the future, will be directly connected with the internal ERP system to ensure a continuous, digitally controlled flow of products. The roofed delivery area will additionally ensure that trucks can be safely unloaded and have protection from the weather.

Groundbreaking for the new warehouse complex took place in spring 2025, with completion set for Q2 2026 and progress so far on schedule. Daniel Dittmann, Director of Operations at Vecoplan, notes that expanding during active operations will require strong communication to minimise disruption, but reports that work and parts supply have proceeded smoothly.

Once the new warehouse is finished, Vecoplan will be able to assemble larger machines and streamline operations to meet rising demand. Werner Berens states, “We’re well positioned for the future. This investment enables us to grow efficiently.”

Devulcanisation an Exciting Opportunity says Mathe Group’s CEO

The Mathe Group is one of the two large South African tyre recyclers and it is looking to expand

Unlike other continents, there is no operational large-scale devulcanisation plant. Introducing one could not only open up new markets for recycled rubber in manufacturing and construction and enhance our fledgling circular economy, reducing dependency on virgin rubber imports but also addressing the ever increasing stockpile of difficult-to-process off-the-road OTR tyres which are an ever present environmental hazard, says Dr Mehran Zarrebini, CEO of radial truck recycler, Mathe Group, and founder of the Tyre Recycling Industry Association of South Africa (TRIASA).

Dr Zarrebini, a British investor in a company that has grown from a small start up to a successful operation that has processed more than a million radial truck tyres, is not only a trailblazer in the local rubber recycling sector but part of an active global movement to find increasingly innovative ways to break down tyres that have been purposely engineered to resist degradation and aging.  

He recently returned from the European Tyre Recycling Association (ETRA) Conference on Tyre Recycling in Europe, keen to encourage the still small local sector to explore new opportunities despite the fact that government’s latest rendition of a tyre waste management plan remains locked in limbo.

Dr Zarrebini has been a member of ETRA for a number of years: “The conference is held every year in Brussels, the epicentre of the European Union. It is convenient for many European Government officials that attend as well as delegates from around the world. Although the organisation is European, there have been a number of non-EU members attending from the UK, Brazil, Ukraine and South Africa.”

Van Dyck Global GreenTag Zarrebini
Mathe Group CEO Dr. Mehran Zarrebini

He explains that South Africa has a buoyant private sector and tyre recycling is not new; “We started in 2016 with more than 16 entities operating in this space. Tyre recycling commenced a number of years before then. The problem with the sector has always been lack of financial support, lack of clearly defined legislation and red tape that stifles incumbents from entering into the industry.”

He said the interesting segment of the conference from a South African point of view was the actual processing of tyres and the innovation needed to create solutions around applications that can use tyre derived material.

He commented on the strong connection between academia, private business and government at the event with governments using the conference to form policy, regulation and legislation without stifling innovation. Well-funded academia had presented a number of exciting projects that are currently being researched.

Dr Zarrebini has shared insights into what South Africa is doing in his space.

“We must be versatile in South Africa due to the size of the industry. Hence, we produce a variety of different types of rubber crumb for different markets simply because the industry is small. In Europe, many companies specialise and produce high volumes of certain types of products.”

He continues that the secondary processing industry is the focus for Mathe Group as valorising the commodity that the company manufactures is key to building a sustainable business.

At the ETRA conference, devulcanisation was highlighted as both a challenge and an opportunity in tyre recycling.  

“Vulcanised rubber, by design, is highly durable and chemically stable, making it resistant to reprocessing. This has long been a barrier to achieving full circularity. However, recent discussions focused ondevulcanisation technologies and selective breakdown methods. Several European firms presented advancements in microwave devulcanization, chemical softening processes using supercritical fluids and cryogenic grinding paired with controlled devulcanisation agents. These processes allow for more effective reuse of rubber in high-value products rather than relegating it to low-end fillers,” he explains.

However, much as it would boost both the local and national economy, South Africa remains behind when it comes to establishing sophisticated devulcanisation plants.

Nevertheless, Mathe Group is in the process of both upgrading and expanding its plant at Hammarsdale in KwaZulu-Natal.

“The new technology on its way to Mathe focuses on primary processing of material and more advanced and efficient technology to process tyres. There is also plant that will ensure much of the steel that can be recovered will achieve <3% rubber contamination that will command a much higher price on the international market,” he explains.

Untha Opens Technology Centre

Untha plans to integrate product development to include customer needs at its new Technical Innovation Centre

The Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) is located near Untha’s headquarters and production sites in Kuchl, Austria. Chosen for its proximity, the TIC brings together Untha’s R&D team and employees from various departments. It features a prototype assembly hall, CAD workstations, a lab, a modular meeting room, and collaborative spaces. The center also supports the development of AI-powered apps and smart services, including the MyUntha platform and the Untha Genius predictive maintenance system.

“Our goal is to continue to have the best shredders on the market. In order to prepare our machines for future markets and customer requirements, we pursue the open innovation approach at the TIC. We don’t want to develop our products alone in a quiet room and only find out after market launch whether we meet the requirements of our customers. Rather, we want to proceed transparently during the development process and include diverse perspectives and opinions – from different departments, external partners as well as from our customers. After all, they are the ones who use our shredders every day and can intuitively contribute to their further development through their experience,” says Stefan Scheiflinger-Ehrenwerth, Chief Innovation Officer of Untha GmbH.

SLTC Journados Caucho 2025

The SLTC rubber conference will take place on Bogota, Colombia, on the 12th – 14th November

This conference is a key event for the rubber industry in Latin America. Speakers from Latin America, Europe, and Asia will present on topics including rubber science, tyre recycling, sustainability, material innovation, and market trends. The full list of speakers will be confirmed and posted soon on the official website.

The presentations cover topics such as: pyrolysis and recovery of waste, new developments in compounds and formulations, quality control, international regulations, circular economy, among others. The detailed schedule will be updated on the www.jornadascaucho.com website

The target audience consists of professionals and technicians in the rubber sector, end-of-life tyre recyclers, researchers, university students and professors, machinery manufacturers, raw material suppliers, distributors, and representatives from both public and private institutions. Attendees include participants from Latin America, as well as invited guests from Europe and North America.

Approximately 450 to 500 attendees are expected. In the last edition of the Conference in Lima, Peru, 594 people participated, including speakers, sponsors and company delegates in all events such as the XVII Latin American Conference on Rubber Technology, the III Latin American Conference on Tire Recycling and the associated sponsors exhibition.

Speaking for SLTC, Emanuel Bertalot said; “For this edition, we hope to continue increasing the interest in rubber recycling in Latin American countries by researchers, public administrations and companies in the region and abroad.

“ In its recent history of the Recycling Days, which have quickly become the preferred meeting of the sector, the SLTC has managed to capitalise on the value that each venue has contributed to rubber recycling to make a better call on each occasion, for this and after the successes in Mexico and Peru, we are convinced that Colombia will see even more interest, with a lot to offer to the attending delegates, but also be receptive to everything that its speakers and sponsoring companies add to continue growing and thus continue to be a key event in the tyre recycling ecosystem for the region.”

SLTC’s Emanuel Bertalot
In addition to the lectures and presentations, the event will feature a specialised trade show, networking activities, technical discussion panels and exchange spaces for specific sectors such as retreading and the use of ELT powder in asphalt mixes. As well as social exchange activities such as the camaraderie dinner and the wine tasting.

There will also be a retreading forum. However, that is still in the development stages and news of that panel will be announced as SLTC confirms speakers and presentations.

Ecolomondo Receives Quality Acceptance For Recovered Carbon Black Produced at Its Hawkesbury Facility

Ecolomondo announced that its main offtake client for recovered carbon black has approved the quality of rCB produced at its Hawkesbury TDP facility

Ecolomondo recently completed the commissioning of its new milling equipment and rCB processing line, showing positive results which led the way to the beginning of production ramp-up. Using its new equipment, Ecolomondo performed various tests during rCB production, aiming to ensure all quality parameters met the thresholds of the rCB offtake clients.

After confirming the quality thresholds of humidity, pellet size, pellet hardness, ash content and particle size, the company shipped sample orders of the freshly produced rCB to offtake clients for testing. After that, the clients performed tests of their own on the samples they received, and the results were positive and similar to those coming from Ecolomondo’s own test results.

After receiving the client’s positive test results, Ecolomondo’s main offtake client for rCB issued an initial order for one truckload of 23 metric tons of rCB to be shipped immediately, and Ecolomondo expects to ship the order this week.

“The commercial acceptance of our rCB by offtake clients reflects the achievement of many years of technology development and commitment. It is a major achievement for the Company and we are confident that additional orders should come because of the quality of our rCB”, said Jean-François Labbé, Interim CEO of Ecolomondo.

The Hawkesbury TDP facility is expected to process approximately 1.3 million to 1.5 million tyres per year and produce on average approximately 4,000 metric tonnes of rCB, 5,000 metric tonnes of pyrolysis oil, 2,000 metric tonnes of still and 1,200 metric tonnes of process gas.