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Jaisen Kohmuench, Eriez President and CEO, announces the appointment of Todd Loudin as Vice President of Global Sales
Loudin will leverage his expertise to drive revenue growth and enhance Eriez’ global market presence.
Todd Loudin – Vice President of Global Sales at Eriez
With more than three decades of experience in international business and sales management, Loudin most recently held a senior executive position at Valmet, a global leader in flow control solutions, where he significantly expanded market share and strengthened customer relationships.
As part of the Eriez executive leadership team, Loudin will apply his deep understanding of international sales dynamics and pipeline management to advance Eriez’ efforts to diversify its business worldwide.
“We are proud and excited to welcome Todd to the Eriezteam,” says Kohmuench. “Todd’s visionary leadership will be integral to our work to more closely unify and better support our 12 global subsidiaries across six continents.” He adds, “We are confident that Todd’s contributions will have a positive impact on shaping Eriez’ future and elevating the organization.”
The 2nd Conclave organised by the Tyre and Rubber Recyclers Association of India (TRRAI) brought together policy makers and industry stakeholders to dwell upon the challenges and opportunities due to paradigm shift after the introduction of EPR in India
Among the key takeaways included the importance of EPR policy compliance, technological advancements, and collaborative efforts to drive growth.
Ved Prakash, Director, Hazardous Substances Management Division, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change
After the launch of the EPR, the government is focusing on EPR compliance. Moreover, the government has assured the objective of EPR compliance is to improve and upgrade the industry. “The industry was in bad shape three years ago as it was dominated by backyard recyclers, only few recyclers were formalised. But now the situation is altered as number of formalised recyclers increased drastically,” saidVed Prakash, Director, Hazardous Substances Management Division, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change(MoEF&CC), in his keynote address.
He urged the recyclers to implement latest technology in their operation and collaborate with tyre producers. “EPR is not against the industry but for the industry and government seeks support from all the key stakeholders to make it successful,”
He also urged the recyclers to maintain the utmost credibility in generating EPR certificates, strictly as per the EPR guidelines and treat certificates generated by them as share certificates or currency notes. At no time regulations should be compromised otherwise the whole exercise is wasted. If at any stage a discrepancy is reported in certificate generation the onus would be on both recyclers as well as tyre producers.
“The government objective is that only the formal recyclers will survive; those who engage in technology upgradation, implement EPR & SOP guidelines in letter and spirit and the others will shutdown their operations.”
Anand Kumar, Director & Divisional Head, Waste Management, Central Pollution Control Board
Anand Kumar, Director & Divisional Head, Waste Management, Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB) called on setting-up a dedicated industrial park for tyre producers, recyclers, pyrolysis plants as all are inter-dependent. Besides, such industrial park would achieve circularity as per objectives of EPR. The industrial park is proposed on the lines of the Ecopark planned for e-waste in Delhi.
According to Kumar, “In January 2024, an SOP for pyrolysis plants was introduced, all pyrolysis plants have to follow the SOP guidelines and National Green Tribunal(NGT) has given strong directions for its implementation and if any recycler is not following them, strict action will be taken against the plant.”
Rajasthan allows setting-up of continuous type pyrolysis plants
Shri Vijai N., Member Secretary of the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board
The guest of honour, was Shri Vijai N., Member Secretary of the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, Jaipur. Despite a busy schedule, he graciously attended the TRRAI conclave and shared valuable insights on the significance of proper waste disposal and recycling.
Notably, he highlighted the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board’s pioneering initiative – the State’s first Integrated Resource Recovery Park, located at Tholai near Jaipur. This innovative project aims to support the circular economy by efficiently managing waste products.Due to the presence of high particulate matter leading to deteriorating climatic conditions in the National Capital Region, Rajasthan was the first Indian state to decide to restrict the opening of batch type pyrolysis plants way back in 2012.
As a policy initiative, the state government stopped allowing opening of fresh batch type pyrolysis units in the state. “We only allow new advanced continuous type pyrolysis plants though allowing the existing batch type plants to operate,” informed Shashi Choudhary, State Environmental Engineers/experts, Government Institute of Chemistry – Hazardous Waste, Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board(RSPCB) during a panel discussion.
As per the new SOP introduced by the Central Pollution Control Board in January 2024 for batch and continuous type pyrolysis plants, the state pollution control board directed the existing batch type plants to strictly implement the new SOP, upgrade and implement all safety measures and submit compliance reports by 31st August accordingly. “We have about 36 batch type plants operational in Rajasthan, and focus is on these units to upgrade their technology for the benefit of the industry and the EPR policy.”
Indian recyclers investing in innovation & upgradation
The tyre recycling and pyrolysis industry has made major strides in the last five years globally. India’s recycling industry has also matured and graduated to next level. “We now have wonderful innovative energy efficient machinery producers coming out of India for example earlier we had shredders with merely 1 ton per hour capacity but now 20 ton per hour capacity shredders are available, taking India’s recycling equipment onto the global map,” thinks Chetan Joshi, President, Global Affairs, TRRAI.
Indian tyre recyclers are no longer blamed for polluting the environment as they are constantly adopting new technology as per the EPR guidelines and SOP introduced by CPCB early this year. “Interestingly, certain Indian recyclers are trying to achieve parameters much above the guidelines of new SOP.”
Satish Goyal, President, TRRAI with Ved Prakash
Indian recyclers are investing in upgrading their equipment in the areas of carbon handling, steel discharge, conveying systems, transporting carbon char from one place to another in both batch and continuous type plants. “Pyrolysis plants are now increasingly adopting gas storage, so that it can be converted to energy in the production process.”
Now, Indian recyclers have to look beyond producing products like oil and RCB in order to build capabilities to recycle and develop hi-end niche products. “Now Indian recyclers have to focus on developing complex grades having application for the specific requirements of the tyre industry.”
Today, the authorities continue focusing on bringing all the recyclers into the EPR ambit and caution the defaulters of penalisation. “Environment compensation will be imposed on defaulters in EPR policy returns and fraudulent generation of EPR credits, applicable to both producers and recyclers,” informedSatish Goyal, President, TRRAIduring discussion.
According to him, “2022-23 EPR credits will be allowed to sell for the fulfilment of obligations of 23-24 and 2024-25, this facility will be available soon.”
Goyal also urged the recyclers to invest EPR money for technology upgradation to make the recycling process more environment-friendly.
The day-long conclave held on 24th August at Jaipur, Capital of Rajasthan. TRRAI has over 450 members with 240 members participated at the conclave.
Japanese trading house Marubeni has invested in Green Rubber Energy in Thailand
Green Rubber Energy has seen the Japanese investors take a 32 per cent share in the business. The investment is estimated at 1 billion yen ($7 million).
Marubeni understands Green Rubber Energy’s pyrolysis technology will attract tyre manufacturers seeking to cut carbon emissions over their entire product life cycle.
This is a further indication of a sea-change in the market that has, for so long, eschewedpyrolysis. This investment adds to the growing understanding of the future of both tyre recycling and tyre pyrolysis.
With proprietary temperature, pressure and other conditions, Green Rubber Energy’s technology can reclaim carbon black with an impurity content of less than 20 per cent, claimed to be a higher quality than its competitors.
The technology already delivers recovered carbon black that meets joint specifications proposed by Bridgestone and Michelin, according to Marubeni. But the Thai affiliate can bring down the ratio of impurities below 4% by using a technology from a German company that Marubeni also has a stake in.
The investment will help Green Rubber Energy boost production from 10,000 tpa, to 15,000tpa according to the press release. There are also plans to build further plants in Japan and Indonesia.
Two people have been sentenced after pleading guilty to running an illegal waste tyre site in Daventry, Northamptonshire, following an investigation into Synergy Tyres by the EA
The duo were running a waste tyre site, Synergy Tyres (Midland) Ltd., at Broad March Industrial Estate without an environmental permit. Tyres were stored in an unsafe manner, creating a significant fire risk and therefore a high pollution risk.
From February 2020, Environment Agency officers inspected the site multiple times over the course of a year. Each time they witnessed huge amounts of tyres that exceeded the legal limit. Paperwork obtained by the Environment Agency showed that waste tyres were continuously delivered to the site throughout the year. Andrew Eyre was the sole Director of the company with Nimesh Patel having day-to-day control of the site.
Shipping records showed that large shipments of tyres were being sent to India on a regular basis, far exceeding the allowed limit. The investigation found the 40-tonne weekly limit for the storage or treatment of waste tyres was exceeded in 52 out of the 59 weeks analysed.
At each visit, Environment Agencyofficers gave clear instructions on the actions required by the site to comply with environmental regulations. During an inspection on 26 February 2021, it was clear the site had not been brought into compliance, so Andrew Eyre and Nimesh Patel were arrested.
Sentencing the pair, HHJ Lucking KC said that they had been reckless and had displayed wilful blindness. She found that the risk of tyre fires at the site presented a serious risk of pollution to the environment. Had a fire started at the site, it would have placed fire-fighters and site-users at risk of serious harm from “a cocktail of hazardous chemicals.”
She sentenced Andrew Eyre to 18 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, on condition that he complete 30 days of Rehabilitation Activities. Nimesh Patel, who had been the Operations Manager at the site, was sentenced to 14 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, on condition that he perform 80 hours of unpaid work.
Synergy Tyres (Midland) Ltd. had previously been fined and Andrew Eyre received a suspended sentence in January 2020 for operating the same waste tyre facility without an environmental permit. However, the company continued to offend in spite of this.
The case has been adjourned for consideration of the recovery of the proceeds of crime, as well as recovery of the Environment Agency’s costs.
Yvonne Daly, Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said; “Not only do we use environmental law to prosecute those who abuse the environment, but we also use the Proceeds of Crime legislation to ensure that criminals are deprived of the benefits of their illegal activity. We continue to use intelligence-led approaches to target the most serious crimes and evaluate which interventions are most effective.
“We support legitimate businesses, and we are proactively supporting them by disrupting and stopping the criminal element backed up by the threat of tough enforcement as in this case.
“We would appeal to legitimate business to help us by report waste criminals, where they are aware of them.”
Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity should report it to our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060, or anonymously through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111.
Vow ASA (has announced that its subsidiary Scanship AS has signed a FEED (Front End Engineering Design) contract with Murfitts Industries
The contract is the latest step in a programme which has seen the two companies co-operating on the development of a process to recover and re-use the raw materials from end-of-life tyres on a commercial scale. A major objective of the programme is to enable manufacturers to use the recovered material in the production of new tyres – helping to close the loop in a product lifecycle.
The new FEED contract will result in the design and construction plans for a large-scale pyrolysis plant, with the expectation that this will be operational in 2026. The plant will produce recovered Carbon Black (rCB), which will be used in the production of new tyres; tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO), which can then be refined to produce sustainable fuels; and syngas, which can be converted to energy.
Extensive trials of the processes have shown that the recovered materials meet the high standards demanded by manufacturers for their products. They especially appeal to those companies who are looking to improve their own sustainability by re-using secondary materials in their products, replacing virgin material.
Mark Murfitt, CEO of Murfitts Industries, said; “We’ve been working with Vow for many years and this FEED contract represents a significant milestone in our co-operation. We have focused on developing a programme which is industry leading in the sustainable recovery of end-of-life tyres. The investment we’re making in this next stage will deliver a plant which can meet the needs of manufacturers at a commercial scale. This is vital in giving them certainty, predictability and confidence in the quality and quantity of the recovered material.”
Murfitts Industries is the largest tyre recycling company in the UK and is part of the European Tyre Enterprise Limited (ETEL). The ETEL group also include a large tyre retail company with operations in the UK, Netherlands and Italy, as well as a tyre wholesale and distribution network. ETEL’s parent company is the ITOCHU Corporation, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
New Environmental Compensation (EC) guidelines to strengthen EPR management have been approved by the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
It is believed that manufacturers not meeting their EPR targets will face penalties of up to Rs8.40 per kilo of waste tyres not accounted for.
The real challenge lies in enforcing the law. “The guidelines are good, but implementation should be made more stringent,” said Debadityo Sinha, lead for climate and ecosystems at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.
Producers have to fill their obligations by buying EPR certificates from certified registered recyclers. However, it is understood that importers are buying up EPR certificates and the provision is already running into the next fiscal year’s available certificates.
Manufacturers and importers of new tyres in India face escalating recycling responsibilities under the EPR regime. Starting with 35 per cent of their 2020-21 production/imports in 2022-23, the target climbs to 70 per cent in 2023-24 and reaches 100 per cent of the previous year’s production from 2024-25 onwards.
New units join the programme after two years, hitting 100 per cent responsibility in the third year. Waste tyre importers have an even stricter task with managing 100 per cent of the tyres they imported in the previous year, with import for producing pyrolysis oil or char explicitly banned.
Currently, in the producer category, there are 52 original equipment manufacturers and 126 importers, while 355 recyclers have submitted registration applications. Of these, 130 producers and 164 recyclers have been granted approval.
Ecolomondo Corporation has announced the successful initial truckload shipment of recovered carbon black to a major customer
This landmark event marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey towards establishing itself as a key player in the global sustainable materials market.
The shipment of recovered carbon black represents a major advancement in Ecolomondo’s tyre recycling operations, utilising its proprietary thermal decomposition technology to convert end-of-life tyres into high-value recovered materials. The carbon black produced at the Hawkesbury facility, a crucial component in numerous industrial applications, is now being delivered to a prominent customer, further demonstrating the effectiveness and scalability of Ecolomondo’sinnovative recycling solutions.
“We are thrilled to announce the successful shipment of recovered carbon black to a major customer,” saidGary Economo, CEO of Ecolomondo Corporation. “This achievement highlights our commitment to sustainability and positions us as a significant player in the market for recycled materials. It’s a testament to the efficiency of our technology and the dedication of our team.”
Gary Economo, CEO of Ecolomondo Corporation
Key Benefits of the Initial Shipment
The recovered carbon black shipped to the major customer meets stringent quality standards, showcasing the effectiveness of Ecolomondo’sadvanced decomposition technology in producing high-value materials. The shipment underscoresEcolomondo’s role in reducing tyre waste and promoting a circular economy by repurposing end-of-life tyres into valuable resources, thereby decreasing environmental impact. This initial shipment marks the beginning of a broader market strategy, allowing Ecolomondoto establish and expand its presence in the recycled materials sector and strengthen relationships with key industry players.
The successful delivery to a major customer demonstrates the company’s capability to meet market demands and deliver products that align with industry needs and sustainability goals.
“This initial shipment is a significant step forward for our company,” said Economo. “It validates our technology and opens new opportunities for growth and collaboration within the recovered materials market. We are excited about the future and the potential to expand our impact through further partnerships and innovations.”
Nokian Tyres has signed a development agreement with a Swedish biomaterial science company Reselo AB to further develop their renewable material Reselo Rubber as a potential new raw material in tyres
Reselo Rubber is a completely renewable material made from birch bark sourced from the residue of the global pulp, paper and plywood industry. The aim of the cooperation agreement now signed is to develop the material further to adapt it for commercial tire production.
“According to the initial laboratory tests we have conducted on Reselo Rubber, it has great potential to replace traditional fossil-based materials in tyres. Furthermore, the material is not only renewable, but we believe it may also be used to improve the tyre’s performance features. We are excited to develop it further in cooperation with Reselo and hope to have Reselo Rubber in Nokian Tyrestyres in the future,” says Heini Siekkinen, Senior Manager, Research & Sustainability from Nokian Tyres.
“We are proud and excited to join forces with Nokian Tyres to improve the sustainability of the largest rubber industry segment even further. The partnership withNokian Tyresmarks an important milestone in our ambition to revolutionize the rubber industry with a high performing bio-based rubber,” says Henrik Otendal, CEO and one of the founders of Reselo.
Reselo was the winner of Nokian Tyres’ FAST RACE, BIG CHANGE sustainable tyre innovation challenge that aimed to find new solutions for more sustainable tyres. After the preliminary testing, the potential of Reselo Rubber as a possible tyre material was established, and now the co-operation continues in close collaboration to further develop the material to match demanding tire properties in an industrial scale.
One of Nokian Tyres’ most important sustainability goals is to have 50 per cent of the raw materials in Nokian Tyres tyres renewable or recycled by 2030, and the company has reached several milestones recently.
“We believe that Reselo Rubber has potential to be one of the steps on our journey towards our goal and are glad to have Reselo as a partner supporting our quest,” says Teemu Soini, VP, Innovations & Development from Nokian Tyres.
The AIMPLAS workshop, in partnership with ETRA covers four research lines and nine sectors takes place in Valencia on the 1st – 2nd October
ETRA and AIMPLAS have joined forces to organizs a face-to-face workshop to explore opportunities to set up new EU funded projects on tyre, rubber, and plastic recycling with a high level of valorisation.
The aim of this workshop is to address various challenges in the elastomeric materials sector by providing a dynamic platform for knowledge sharing and opportunity exploration.
The first day will feature simultaneous networking sessions that include project presentations, collaboration opportunities, and interactive workshops to foster the exchange of ideas and build professional relationships.
The second day will focus on presentations by experts from AIMPLAS andETRA, addressing key topics such as the latest R&D technologies, market trends, cooperation programs, EU project calls for 2025, and other funding opportunities.
The in-person event is designed to encourage networking and interaction across the delegates and presenters.
Key elements of the event are:
– Face to face Pitch Sessions between each participant and experts to discuss your project idea
– Onsite visit to AIMPLAS labs to discover the equipment and facilities that can be used in your project
– Networking Spaces for meetings among Participants and Organizers
– One Day Seminar on most recent R&D Technologies, Market Trends, Cooperation programs, 2025 Calls for EU Projects and other funding opportunities
Indian recycling companies, such as Indo Green Enviro, are penetrating the global market, emerging as key machinery suppliers and acquiring companies to establish permanent bases overseas
The Pune headquartered recycling machinery producer Indo Green Enviro Pvt Ltd is gearing-up to establish a full-fledged manufacturing base in Europe. “Indo Green Enviro has made strategic investments in a Turkish company during 2023. This will be converted into full-fledged equity by the end of 2024. The details of the deal will be shared through a joint announcement by both the partners in the forthcoming IFAT Mumbai Expo,” confided Rohan Rane, Vice President (Marketing), Indo Green Enviro Pvt Ltd, in an interaction at the recently concluded conclave on the tyre and rubber recycling industry at Jaipur (Rajasthan) organised by Tyre & Rubber Recyclers Association of India (TRRAI). The brand will also go through a fresh rebranding from the next year.
Rohan Rane, Vice President (Marketing), Indo Green Enviro Pvt Ltd
IFAT 2024 is scheduled to be held in Mumbai in the middle of October later this year.
The Turkish based site is located in northwestern city of Eskişehir and serves the European as well as the Indian market for certain models and will produce 12-15 types of various recycling lines annually.
On responding to what led the company to invest in Turkey, Rane said; “The Turkish company has sound engineering knowledge, and we would like to take advantage of it considering the opportunities emerging in the recycling sector all over the world.”
With two manufacturing bases, the company is poised to service the Asian, Middle Eastern, and European markets with specialised tyre shredding equipment.
Both the Pune and Turkish sites compliment with each other, while the Pune plant continues to serve the Indian, Middle Eastern & Asian markets, the Turkish unit will cater the markets of Europe and India for a few specific products.
Introduced gamechanger Crossover Rasper
Established around thirteen years ago, Indo Green Enviro manufactures complete recycling linse comprising of primary and secondary shredders, crossover rasper, granulator etc. The company emerged as disrupters in the shredding equipment market and are credited with jointly developing the Crossover Rasper with the Turkish partners.
The Crossover Rasper’s main feature is its ability to shred full tyres to 10 mm chips while liberating steel and fibre in one step. It is easy to run, maintain and comes equipped with the best components from across the world such as Yilmaz, Siemens, Rexroth, and Bohler.
The advantages include the versatility of being able to process any input size thus eliminating the need for multiple shredding equipment. The cost of processing is one of the lowest in the industry with sole motto to make the recycler more profitable.
“More than 30 Crossover Rasper’s are working successfully in various applications. This year will see more than a dozen crossovers being installed in the Indian sub-continent. Talks are on for other markets including the US.”
Expects 33% growth in the business in 2024 per cent
Meanwhile the company is expecting almost 33% surge in its business in this fiscal year. “We are supplying on an average 12 lines annually but we are expecting to supply 16 lines in the current fiscal. The Crossover Rasper has emerged as a gamechanger in our increasing volumes.”
Indo Green Enviro has forged number of strategic relationships from the beginning like it used to be a channel partner ofEldan Recycling in 2008. The company also worked as a sales and service partner of Granutech Saturn System (USA) from 2012 for shredders. It also tied-up with Arjes (Germany) from 2021 for primary shredders for Indian subcontinent.
Indo Green Enviro has specialised in setting-up used tyre recycling plants across continents for the past decade.
