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Funding to Grow Market for Recycled Tyres

Ewan Scott
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Funding to Grow Market for Recycled Tyres

New Zealand’s Tyrewise has announced funding to help develop markets for recycled tyre materials

In a move that exemplifies how recycling fees should be used for the benefit of the industry and the environment, Tyrewise has announced a round of funding to help grow interest in tyre derived materials.

Innovators, investors and change makers are being called on to put their best ideas forward as a substantial investment in funding becomes available to develop the market for tyre-derived recycled rubber material, and create economic value from Aotearoa New Zealand’s worn-out tyres.

Tyrewise is looking for initial expressions of interest in its inaugural grant funding round. Expressions of interest are open in this first round from 1 July to 29 July 2025. Up to $7 million will be available over three rounds in a financial year.

Mark Gilbert, Chair of Auto Stewardship New Zealand

Tyrewise works with the whole industry to ensure tyres are collected for recycling or repurposing. The scheme is achieving a high collection rate and is now focussing on developing high-value, best use recycling and repurposing solutions for the tyres, says Mark Gilbert, Chair of Auto Stewardship New Zealand that governs the Tyrewise scheme.

“To enable this goal, Tyrewise is providing contestable funding to help develop end markets for the recycled rubber material from tyres in New Zealand,” Gilbert says.

Tyrewise has a goal of 80%, of our end-of-life tyres to be recycled and repurposed into new products in New Zealand by its fourth year of operation, and over 90% by its sixth year.

“Tyres are a versatile resource that can be turned into many products or used in a number of processes, such as roading, playground surfacing, as a substitute for aggregate, or even earthquake-proofing buildings. The market in New Zealand isn’t currently big enough though to take all the recycled rubber from tyres which are collected, so the aim of the fund is to stimulate the development of new products and markets here says Adele Rose, Tyrewise Scheme Managers, 3R Group”

Tyrewise’s Adele Rose

The fund is structured into three main ‘streams’ – research and development, emerging markets, and community development. “This allows funding to back projects across the spectrum of the typical phases of product development,” Rose says.

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be a registered New Zealand business, research institute, or university, ideally have been operating for at least 12 months, and have satisfactory environmental, safety and financial performance, among other criteria.

“This is a call for expressions of interest. Once we have assessed them, we will ask for a more formal, detailed application,” Rose adds. “Kiwis are innovators by nature, so we’re excited to see what ideas are out there to create a circular economy for tyres here at home.”

MICHELIN and Murfitts Industries Announce Project

Ewan Scott
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MICHELIN and Murfitts Industries Announce Project

Michelin and Murfitts Industries have announced a new project to process end-of-life tyres – recovering the energy and materials within them

As part of the project Murfitts, the UK’s largest tyre recycling company, has submitted plans for a materials recovery facility at Michelin’s tyre plant in Stoke-on-Trent.

The cutting-edge process developed by Murfitts will generate energy which will be used to power Michelin’s production on site, thereby lowering CO2 emissions from the factory by 1,500 tonnes per year. In addition to the energy recovered, the process will also produce recovered carbon black (rCB) and tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO).

The project will see Michelin supply Murfitts with 12,500 tonnes of end-of-life tyres per year, the equivalent of 1.35 million car tyres. For context, the plant’s capacity would be more than enough to reprocess a pair of tyres from each of the 602,000 cars currently registered in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

Murfitts reprocesses around 20 million end-of-life tyres annually producing materials for a wide range of applications including sports surfaces and modified asphalt. Over recent years it has developed processes to recover tyre materials in forms that can be ultimately used in the production of new tyres, thus contributing to the circular economy.

The new plant will use those processes at a commercial scale to recover the raw materials through pyrolysis.  The rCB produced can be used for a wide range of products, including new tyres, and the TPO can be used for other materials and for alternative fuels, reducing the need for virgin petroleum feedstock.

Mark Murfitt, founder of Murfitts Industries, said: “We believe this plant could be a breakthrough in the life cycle of a tyre. It moves tyre recycling on from recovering energy and material for other uses to being able to feed it directly back into factories for new tyre production. 

“Our core ethos at Murfitts has always been that end-of-life tyres are a valuable resource and we need to do all we can to maximise the use of the energy and materials within them.  We have been developing our pyrolysis process for a number of years and our results now show we can produce material from end-of-life tyres which can perform better than the virgin equivalent for some applications. This plant will be a win-win for the tyre industry, the local and national economy and the environment.”

The process also produces steam which will be supplied directly to the Michelin factory. This will replace the natural gas currently used to create steam for the curing phase of tyre production, reducing the need for fossil fuels.

Christina Peloquin, Site Director at Michelin UK, said; “This is a really exciting project which reduces our environmental impact at the same time as helping us stay competitive by lowering our energy costs. The team has worked exceptionally hard on this project, and we’re looking forward to welcoming Murfitts to our Stoke-on-Trent site.”

Maria Röttger, CEO and President of Michelin Europe North said; “At Michelin, we see every challenge as a chance to lead positive change—and end-of-life tyres are no exception. As shapers, innovators, and pioneers of sustainable mobility, Michelin is committed to transforming the way tyres are handled at every stage of their life cycle. Through our deep expertise and forward-thinking approach, we are co-building a robust recycling ecosystem that redefines what has previously been possible. This project with Murfitts Industries is a powerful reflection of Michelin’s enduring commitment to sustainability and responsible leadership in the tyre and rubber industry”. The facility is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026. 

TSA Report Shows Shortcomings

Ewan Scott
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TSA Report Shows Shortcomings

The Latest TSA report, “Are We There Yet”, shows both successes and shortcomings in the Australian recycling sector

The TSA report breaks down the tyre market from import to end of life for car, truck and OTR tyres. For car and truck tyres the recovery/ recycling rate is good news, with high recycling rates. However, the valorisation of ELT arguably leaves much to be desired with burning for energy recovery taking up a large percentage of the recovery – 77 per cent of car and 33 per cent of try tyres go for energy recovery. The car and truck recovery rate stood at around 87 per cent in 2024. OTR though was just 13 per cent.

Whilst the report shows that there is room for improved valorisation of both car and truck tyres, it also highlights the challenge to be met in dealing with OTR tyres.

Whilst recyclers are investing in OTR recycling, the reality is that supply exceeds demand and OTR tyres are still being buried on site in huge volumes – 71 per cent were buried on site, another 2 per cent landfilled. An estimated 155,000 tons of OTR ELT were generated in 2024, according to the report.

The detail of the report is clearly specific to the Australian market but it is worth reading at least to understand better what is happening to ELT in Australia. There is also some interesting details on where the tyres come from, and where the tyre derived fuel goes in the market.

The TSA report asks and answers; “So, when it comes to a circular economy for tyres, are we there yet? No, not by some margin. As this report reveals, there are many reasons for this, often involving geography, recycling capabilities and regulations, but disparities like this present opportunities.”

There is also a recognition that tyre recycling is not going to rise to the challenges unaided. There need to be incentives, and here the TSA report says; “Voluntary schemes such as the TPSS scheme, and legislation at federal and state level covering waste reduction, export controls and pollution have all played a role in promoting the high recovery rates of Passenger, Truck and Bus tyres. Whether it’s through restrictions, incentives or both, regulation has demonstrated success in changing behaviours. Similarly, the economics of supply and demand have also demonstrated success in changing behaviours. Businesses will always follow the money, and if we are to create a circular economy for all types of tyres in Australia, then we need to foster an economic environment in which used tyre recovery, especially of OTR tyres, is a viable industry with a clear profit pathway. Supported by regulatory incentives and government funding, organisations that currently put tyre recovery in the “too-hard basket” will have a clear bottom-line reason to replace behaviours such as burying tyres with recovery options.”

Car Tyres to Mercedes Upholstery

Ewan Scott
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Car Tyres to Mercedes Upholstery

The Mercedes CONCEPT AMG GT XX is a pioneering technology programme from Mercedes that explores new technology

With three axial flux motors and a high-performance battery developed from scratch, the brand from Affalterbach presents a revolutionary drive concept that enables a whole new dimension of performance. It includes an abundance of technical solutions earmarked for use in the subsequent series-production models based on the high performance AMG Electric Architecture.

However, one of the surprising attributes of this concept car is the use of racing car tyre rubber used to create the “leather” used in the seats.

The Innovera fabric is a bio-designed alternative leather created by Modern Meadow from car tyre rubber. The aim is to further develop Innovera for series production and set new standards in vehicle interiors.

Innovera from Modern Meadow Mercedes

For the Concept AMG GT XX, one scrap tyre provides the basis for approximately four square metres of the new, bio-designed material.

The black seat pads of the bucket seats are covered with the Nappa-look variant. The leather alternative is breathable and waterproof, as well as lighter than traditional materials. Its maximum tensile strength is also twice as high as that of traditional materials, making it very robust and high performing.

David Williamson Phd, CEO Modern Meadow
David Williamson Phd, CEO Modern Meadow

Because it replicates the key properties of the collagens found in leather, the material offers a level of design freedom equivalent to that of traditional leather and can be produced with different finishes such as nubuck, full grain or suede, and in various colours and haptics.

“At Modern Meadow, we are redefining automotive interior possibilities with Innovera, that brings beauty, performance and sustainability into perfect balance,” said Modern Meadow CEO David Williamson. “In our development partnership with Mercedes-Benz, we have used Innovera to create a new luxury leather alternative without sacrificing aesthetics, versatility and texture. It looks and feels as good as it performs.”

Podcast 74 – A discussion with Birla Carbon’s John Loudermilk

Ewan Scott
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Podcast 74 – A discussion with Birla Carbon’s John Loudermilk

John Loudermilk, CEO of Birla Carbon, joined The Tyre Recycling Podcast for Episode 74 to discuss the future of recovered carbon black (rCB). He shares Birla’s strategy for scaling “sustainable carbonaceous materials, highlights the limiting factors for rCB, and reveals how research could unlock new applications. John also introduces Continua 8030 and touches on Birla’s new Patalganga plant. Discover the drivers behind the growing rCB market and Birla Carbon’s vision for its future in Episode 74. Join us as we explore the evolving landscape of tyre recycling!

Chapters:

0:12 Intro

1:16 The place of rcb in today’s market

1:43 Birla’s Sustainable Cabonaceous materials

3:43 Providing credibility and consistency

4:37 Consistency is key to production at scale

6:31 What are the limiting factors for rcb?

8:12 research will lead to more applications

8:29 5-10% of CB going into tyres could be replaced

9:10 Benefits of Carbon Footprint reduction could be impacted by post-treatment costs

10:27 Continua 8030

12:00 Post treatment pant at Patalganga 14: Improves supply chain sustainability

15:55 What is the driver in the growth of the rcb market? 17:26 Carbon Black from alternatiive feedstocks

18:05 Balance between economics and Sustainability

21:28 The industry is starting to mature

21:59 Birla Carbon is a true believer in the future of the rcb sector

23:38 Takeaways and Thanks

Pyrum Approval for  Perl-Besch Plant

Ewan Scott
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Pyrum Approval for  Perl-Besch Plant

Pyrum GreenFactory II GmbH has received approval for the early start of construction of the new Pyrum plant in Perl-Besch

Pyrum GreenFactory II GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pyrum Innovations AG, which was founded last year to operate the new Pyrum plant. With the new plant, Pyrum is further expanding its recycling capacities in Saarland – it is already the second own site that the company will build and operate independently.

Pascal Klein, CEO of Pyrum Innovations said; “Now that the permits have been granted, nothing stands in the way of breaking ground. Our second own plant marks the next important step in our rollout plan. We are delighted to finally be able to move on to the construction phase. With the new plant, we are not only doubling our recycling capacity, but also setting another example for sustainable tyre recycling.”

The plant is to be built on an area of around 25,000 m2 at the new site in Perl-Besch near the border triangle between Germany, France and Luxembourg and will have an annual recycling capacity of 22,400 tonnes of end-of-life tyres. The convenient location with direct access to the Moselle, existing railway lines and the nearby motorway offers ideal logistical conditions for the delivery of used tyres and the transport of the manufactured products. Various delivery routes are currently being examined in order to make the operation as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. With the approval for early construction now received, the first tender processes can begin without delay.

Kai Winkelmann, CFO of Pyrum Innovations AG, adds;: “The first part of the EUR 25 million credit line from BASF, which was agreed at the end of 2023, will be used in particular to finance the equity share of the new plants in Perl-Besch and the Czech Republic. In addition, we are in advanced, positive discussions with various financing partners, including a major European bank. If the financing talks are successfully concluded, both projects would be fully financed and the basis for accessing the second part of the loan granted by BASF in the amount of an additional EUR 25 million would also be established. This would provide the company with additional financing in the high double-digit million range for further projects in the rollout plan.” The groundbreaking ceremony for Pyrum’s second own plant is scheduled to take place in July 2025 at the new site in Perl Besch. If construction progresses as planned, commissioning is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027.

Contec and Orion in Partnership Milestone

Ewan Scott
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0
Contec and Orion in Partnership Milestone

Contec S.A. has announced the successful deliveries of multiple shipments of tyre pyrolysis oil (ConPyro) to Orion S.A., marking a significant early milestone in the long-term collaboration between the two companies

These initial shipments were made possible by processing significant quantities of end-of-life tyres using Contec’s proprietary Molten technology.

The delivery follows the February 2025 announcement of a strategic long-term supply agreement between Contec and Orion, one of the world’s leading producers of specialty and high-performance carbon black. Under the agreement, Contec will supply Orion with TPO, enabling large-scale production of circular grades of carbon black for global tyre and rubber goods manufacturers.

Orion remains the only company to have successfully manufactured circular carbon black from 100 per cent TPO, demonstrating that its products can replace virgin carbon black in a wide range of demanding applications.

Contec Patryk Cichion
Patryk Cichoń, Sales Director, Contec S.A.

“We’re pleased to see how smoothly the cooperation with Orion has started. These first deliveries confirm that both teams are aligned not only on vision but also on execution. With such a strong beginning, we’re confident the path ahead will be even more efficient and impactful,” said Patryk Cichoń, Sales Director, Contec S.A.

The collaboration reflects both companies’ strong commitment to innovation, defossilisation, and the development of scalable circular technologies. These first deliveries set the stage for further expansion and integration of circular raw materials into global manufacturing processes.

Prism Worldwide Unveils Breakthrough Technologies

Ewan Scott
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Prism Worldwide Unveils Breakthrough Technologies

The breakthrough technology from Prism significantly reduces the persistent odour in recycled tyre materials and plastics, making them suitable for indoor use in vehicles, homes, and consumer products

A new patent-pending TPV formulation uses revulcanised end-of-life tyre rubber to create one of the industry’s first sustainable, high-performance thermoplastic elastomers

Prism Worldwide, has announced a trio of groundbreaking innovations poised to transform the recycling and sustainable materials industries. The company has made key advancements in odour reduction, sustainable thermoplastic vulcanisates (TPV) development, and high-content Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) reuse, three challenges long considered barriers to wider adoption of recycled materials in consumer and industrial products.

All of Prism’s American-made materials are developed using non-capital-intensive processes that deliver lower costs compared to virgin materials, an especially relevant advantage in light of tariff uncertainties and the growing emphasis on domestic sourcing. This enables customers to achieve sustainability goals without increased cost, a particularly appealing value proposition in the industry.

“This is a turning point for end-of-life tyre recycling and sustainable polymer development,” said Bob Abramowitz, CEO, Prism Worldwide. “These are not incremental improvements. We’ve tackled odour, cost, and performance, three of the biggest barriers to more widespread adoption of recycled materials, and overcome them all with commercially viable solutions. Our team’s diligence in developing solutions that solve these challenges allows us to deliver cost-effective, high-performance materials without requiring customers to pay a green premium. Companies pay lip service to sustainability values, but they change their tune when it costs more. We are creating additional profit opportunities while helping them to meet corporate sustainability objectives.”

Today, customers can use Prism materials without changing the manufacturing process. These step changes introduce new ways to use up to 50% of recycled end-of-life tyre materials in injection or rotational moulding and extruding, a significant increase from what was previously possible. This opens new processes that were formerly limited to compression moulding and enables companies to offer products such as gym mats and automotive interiors that are made using recycled materials but no longer produce unpleasant odours, a key customer benefit.

Prism’s new technology suite includes:

  • Odor-Reduced Tyre Materials: Prism’s proprietary odour-reduction process resolves one of the most persistent issues in rubber recycling. Historically, strong and lingering odours have limited the use of recycled tire materials in indoor environments. Now, thanks to the company’s innovation, validated in an independent lab to automotive-grade odour panel testing and VOC requirements, its materials meet the requirements for automotive interiors, consumer products, building materials, and other odour-sensitive applications.
  • Sustainable TPV from End-of-Life Tires: In an industry first, Prism has developed a patent-pending sustainable TPV where the rubber portion is derived from end-of-life tiure materials. Prism’s technology will allow TPV manufacturers to offer sustainable solutions in extremely valuable polymers.
  • High-Content Recycled EPDM: EPDM rubber is widely used in automotive weatherstripping and gaskets, roofing, and industrial applications, but it is difficult to recycle because it is crosslinked. Prism’s patent-pending devulcanisation process makes it possible to reuse EPDM at high content levels while delivering on key physical performance properties. This not only reduces material costs, but also significantly improves the sustainability profile of industries that rely on EPDM.

With these breakthroughs, Prism is setting a new standard for what recycled materials can achieve. By solving problems that have limited adoption for decades, the company is making sustainability practical, profitable, and scalable.

Podcast 73 Featuring Arthur Wagner from REGOM

Ewan Scott
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Podcast 73 Featuring Arthur Wagner from REGOM

In Tyre and Rubber Recycling Podcast 73, we discuss REGOM tyre data reading technology, developments in the USA and research into RFID data collection.

Arthur Wagner from REGOM joined The Tyre Recycling Podcast for Episode 73 as we explored the technology behind their tyre identification systems and their expansion into the US market. Arthur discusses how REGOM’s system, which already has 12 operational lines in Europe, helps achieve better valorisation by speeding up logistics, though it still relies on human inspection. With the industry moving towards RFID technologies, he explains how this system is not just for EPR markets but also helps manufacturers account for their own waste and addresses key labour issues in the sector. Arthur Wagner covers all this and more in Episode 73. So please join us as we learn all about REGOM’s technology and its impact on tyre recycling.

Chapters

0:12 Intro

1:06 REGOM Introductions

4:13 REGOM is about identifying tyres

5:25 Still needs human inspection

6:16 Do tyre manufacturers want their own tyres back?

7:26 Working with Aliapur

8:30 is this aimed at EPR markets?

9:00 Not just for EPR

12:10 Addresses labour issues

15:45 RFID technologies coming

16:30 Pyrolysis

17:23 Speeding up logistics and valorisation

17:55 12 Lines in Europe

19:04 better valorisation

20:54 Manufacturers accounting for own waste

21:55 Thanks and Takeaways

Melbourne Tyre & Conveyor Belt Recycling Summit

Ewan Scott
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0
Melbourne Tyre & Conveyor Belt Recycling Summit

Tyre Stewardship Australia and Tyrewise New Zealand are hosting the inaugural 2025 Round Trip: Tyre & Conveyor Belt Recycling Summit in Melbourne, Australia

Join key players across Australia and New Zealand for this landmark summit focused on tyre and conveyor belt recycling, hosted by Tyre Stewardship Australia and Tyrewise New Zealand. 

Over three days, manufacturers, recyclers, innovators, policymakers, and global industry stakeholders will connect to share ideas, explore global technologies, and uncover real-world market and infrastructure opportunities.

Expect engaging keynotes, expert panels, and powerful networking moments – all aimed at boosting tyre recovery, market growth, and innovation in tyre-derived products.

Let’s work together to maximise the resources in end-of-life tyres and conveyor belts and advance a circular economy for tyres and conveyor belts.

MC/Keynote – Paul Kenyon, BBC UK

Kenyon recently reported ‘The Tyre Scandal’ for BBC File on 4 Investigates programme, which exposes the environmental and regulatory gaps enabling the global export of end-of-life tyres to poorly regulated facilities abroad. 

Paul is a BAFTA-winning journalist and author who has reported from conflict zones around the world for BBC Panorama and has written several books. Paul made his name by confronting criminals on his prime time TV show on BBC 1.

Agenda at a glance

  • Day 1, Wednesday, October 15 – Full day Summit followed by Networking Drinks.
  • Day 2, Thursday, October 16 – Full day Summit.

The full agenda will be released in July 2025.

Speakers at a glance

More speakers will be announced in July 2025.

Who should attend?

  • Recyclers, collectors and processors.
  • Retailers, mechanics and auto wreckers.
  • Associations and members.
  • Local Governments, landfill and transfer station operators.
  • Government policymakers from Australia and New Zealand.
  • Waste operators.
  • Rubber manufacturers.
  • Environment Protection Authorities from Australia and New Zealand.
  • Other product stewardship schemes.
  • Brokers.
  • Road contractors.

Media Partner

Round Trip 2025 is proud to announce the leading journal for the tyre recycling sector, Tyre and Rubber Recycling Magazine, as the official media partner for the 2025 event. 

We welcome Richard Wilson, Editorial Correspondent at Tyre & Rubber Recycling, to Australia to cover Round Trip 2025.

Event location

National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Tickets

Ticket registration will be available soon.

Seats are limited at this venue, so please register for your ticket as early as possible to guarantee your spot.

Get in touch

Email rsvp@tyrestewardship.org.au to find out more or to express your interest in participating. 

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