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Recircle Awards Reveals 2025 Nominees’ Shortlist

Ewan Scott
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Recircle Awards Reveals 2025 Nominees’ Shortlist
  • Recircle Awards has announced the list of finalists for all categories, except Best Innovation in Tyre Recycling and Best Research Project on Tyre Recycling, which will be announced on February 10.
  • Voting will remain open until March 14. 
  • The awards ceremony will take place on May 22 in Bologna, during Autopromotec 2025.

Retreading Business and Tyre & Rubber Recycling magazines, the organizers of the Recircle Awards, the global industry awards event recognising sustainable innovation, production processes, management and services within the tyre retreading and recycling sectors, have announced the list of finalists for the first 14 categories of the 2025 edition.

As in previous editions of the Recircle Awards, the Nominations Committee has been responsible for selecting the list of finalists, based on the nominations made through the official nominations platform on the awards website. The Nominations Committee consists of the Retreading Business and Tyre & Rubber Recycling magazine editors, as well as 13 people from the tyre retreading and recycling sectors from around the world recognised for their independence and experience in their respective fields.

The finalists for the first 14 awards’s categories are as follows:

Best Company Director:

  • Alexei Nicolini (Budini Inc.)
  • Allen Timpany (Circtec)
  • Fred Bonney (GSL Tire Recycling)
  • Günter Ihle (Rigdon GmbH)
  • Haarjeev Kandhari (Vaculug)

Best Retreading Accessory and Consumables Supplier:

  • B&J Rocket
  • Marangoni
  • Presti Industries
  • Shamrock Marketing
  • VM Rubber

Best Retreading Equipment Supplier:

  • Cima Impianti
  • Italmatic
  • Matteuzzi
  • TRM
  • Vipal Machinery

Best Retreading Industry Innovation:

  • Cima Impianti: Ecoline Presses
  • Italmatic: Crater Tire CT 4.0 Double Skiving Robot
  • Rigdon / Innok Robotics: Autonomous Vehicles
  • Rover Research: Water Jet Technology
  • Vaculug: Zeus AI Enhanced Production System

Best Rubber Tread Supplier:

  • Leadertread
  • Marangoni
  • Midas
  • Silvercap
  • Vipal

Best Tyre Recycling Industry Supplier:

  • Eco Green Equipment
  • Mars Mineral
  • MTB
  • Rover Research
  • Zeppelin

Business Breakthrough Award:

  • Circtec
  • Circular Rubber Platform
  • LD Carbon Korea
  • Pyrum Innovations
  • Rover Research

Circular Economy Award:

  • AZuR Network
  • Circular Rubber Platform
  • Liberty Tire and Walmart
  • Tyromer
  • Vaculug

Employee of the Year:

  • Federico Parmesan (Marangoni)
  • Giampaolo Brioschi (Marangoni)
  • Jörg Taylor (Marangoni)
  • Leonardo Oliveira (Vipal Rubber)
  • Neil Bansal (Liberty Tire Recycling)

Retreader of the Year Award:

  • Colmec
  • Kal Tire
  • Marangoni
  • Rigdon GmbH
  • Vaculug

Spirit of Retreading Award:

  • 633 Tyres
  • Autobahn Retreading
  • Budini Inc
  • Recauchajes Llach
  • Vulkan Tyres

Tyre Recycler of the Year Award:

  • Contec
  • Genan
  • Hi-Green Carbon
  • Tyrecycle
  • UK Rubber

Women’s Award for the Tyre Retreading Sector:

  • Caitlin Smith (B&J Rocket)
  • Christina Guth (AZUR Network)
  • Dawn Wilson-Smith (Vaculug)
  • Elsie Alvarez (ACOLLRE)
  • Margareth Buzetti (ABR)

Women’s Award for the Tyre Recycling Sector:

  • Adele Rose (Tyrewise)
  • Amy Brackin (Liberty Tire Recycling)
  • Christina Guth (AZUR Network)
  • Ifedolapo Runsewe (Freee Recycle)
  • Isabel López-Rivadulla (Signus Ecovalor)

The nomination period is still open for Best Innovation in Tyre Recycling and Best Research Project on Tyre Recycling, and the finalists for both categories will be announced on February 10, along with the final four categories.

Voting for the 2025 Recircle Awards will be open until Friday, March 14, and can be lodged via the awards website. Participants and voters must remember that the voting system allows for only one vote per person and category.

The winners will be announced on Thursday, May 22 at the Autopromotec trade fair in Bologna, Italy.

David Wilson, the Head of the Nominations Committee and the Editor of Retreading Business and Tyre & Rubber Recycling magazines commented, “We are very proud to announce the finalists for the Recircle Awards 2025. This year we have made an effort to streamline the entire voting process, from the submission of initial nominations to considering the nominations to finally selecting the finalists. We will continue to improve every area where we see room for improvement to ensure that the awards become an even greater benchmark for the industry.”

Wilson added, “Additionally, I would like to express our satisfaction with the level of interest that the awards are getting each year. Our aim has always been to highlight the business and individual efforts to adapt and promote the values of the circular economy. In this fourth edition, we have also tried to make the awards more inclusive by establishing two new categories to recognise the contributions and commitment of women in this sector, which fills me with pride. Without a doubt, this is an area that we will continue to explore further.”

REDISA is not yet Dead and Buried

Ewan Scott
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REDISA is not yet Dead and Buried

The South African REDISA model for tyre recycling is not quite ready to vanish into the thin air

Tyre and Rubber Recycling visited non-profit REDISA in Capetown when it looked like they had got to grips with handling South Africa’s tyre waste challenges.

The system they envisaged involved collector on the street picking up tyres and being paid for doing so when they delivered them to collection centres. The benefits were proposed that each collector would have a bank account, something that was rare amongst that level in society. They would be paid per tyre collected and they could access the accumulated funds from that account.

Tyres would then be taken to collection centres, and from there to a number of proposed processing centres.

That, in a nutshell was how it was supposed to work. However, the tyre industry wasn’t happy that they did not have control, as they do in most EPR operations, there were protests from various vested interests, and ultimately, REDISA was subject to litigation from the then environment minister, Edna Molewa withdrew the non-profit scheme, illegally according to Stacey Jansen, a REDISA director.

REDISA’s Stacey Jansen

Without going ionto the details of the case, it is reasonable to say that non-profit does not mean that people do not make money, and that perhaps was at the heart of Molewa’s withdrawal of the scheme.

Eight years down the line from the withdrawal, and a long series of court cases, Stacey Jansen wrote in South Africa’s Business Day, that the REDISA team had high hopes for a fresh start. However Jansen believes that the new environment minister Dion George, has wasted a chance to pick a low hanging fruit.

Jansen writes; “Economic research has shown that monetising the 38 different waste streams in SA through recycling, could add 1.75% to our economic growth rate. This growth would be underpinned by small and medium enterprises, which have most potential to create employment. When recycling is done correctly it also opens up markets for new products.

“In fact, SA was a world leader in formalising the waste tyre stream just seven years ago.”

The Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of SA  (Redisa) had high hopes for a fresh start under a new minister, but his inexplicable inaction so far on the waste front, specifically waste tyres, has been disappointing.

George and his department have simply ignored the waste tyre crisis. SA discards between 253,000 and 259,000 tonnes of waste tyres every year, according to Jansen. This enormous volume poses a serious environmental threat. In the informal economy hundreds of waste tyres are burnt every day to access scrap metal, causing extreme air pollution, and most of the rest end up in dumps or languish in enormous and growing used tyre depots.

Many industry players have warned that SA’s waste tyre depots are over capacity and in breach of fire regulations, posing a serious fire risk. Last year a devastating fire broke out at the Biesiesvlei Waste Tyre Storage Depot in Lichtenburg, with severe environmental and financial repercussions. The other over-capacity depots are ticking time bombs. 

Environment Minster Dion George

This dire state of affairs could have been avoided. In fact, SA was a world leader in formalising the waste tyre stream just seven years ago. Between 2012 and 2017, REDISA, a nonprofit company, pioneered a plan alongside the government that built 22 tyre collection centres, employed more than 3,000 people, created 226 SMMEs and offset 59,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. It accelerated the recycling economy, empowered unskilled workers and stimulated entrepreneurship.

Instead of resurrecting a similar model to the REDISA one, and righting a manifest wrong, George chose last year to rather support the previous incumbent’s fatally flawed Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan. He is doing so seemingly on the advice and counsel of the self-same officials who presided over the current disastrous state of affairs. 

Jansen continues; “This latest plan claims to be a way of addressing the waste tyre problem, but it sets unachievable targets, contains numerous inconsistencies, lacks any budgetary detail and was created and approved in an improper manner. It is the type of irresponsible plan-making that has come to define ANC inefficiency. And with George’s support it will soon define DA inefficiency too. 

Should this plan be implemented, it would be a disaster. Waste and recycling entrepreneurs would suffer further. After trying for months, with no success, to communicate in good faith with the department and George, REDISA had no choice but to approach the courts to stop the plan.”

“SA needs bold, decisive action on waste management in 2025. It is time for George to act,” says Jansen. 

A full version of this story can be found in Business Day

Ecolomondo and ARESOL Signed a Letter of Intent for a Joint Venture

Naida Jahić
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Ecolomondo and ARESOL Signed a Letter of Intent for a Joint Venture

Ecolomondo Corporation signed a letter of intent for a joint venture with Alternativas Riojanas Eolicas y Solares S.L. (ARESOL) on December 2, 2024, aiming to build a 20,000 metric tons/year of end-of-life tyres TDP facility in Spain

ARESOL is a business group that develops, executes, and operates renewable energy projects of all magnitude, from conception to installation and operation. Within the company’s expansion plan, Aresol intends to develop and implement several pyrolysis projects for end-of-use tyres in Spain, and for this reason, it chose the Canadian pyrolysis technology developed by Ecolomondo.

Ecolomondo and ARESOL intend to establish a joint venture by forming a new entity jointly owned by Ecolomondo, ARESOL and other interested investors that could emerge. The project will have the capacity to process 20,000 tons/year of end-of-life tyres in a single pyrolysis plant, to produce Tyre Pyrolysis Oil, recovered Carbon black, steel and syngas.

Ecolomondo would provide the tyre pyrolysis technology, and the development-financial aspect will be distributed proportionally between the parties and other possible investors. The overall structure and purpose of the venture are to be negotiated between the parties and will need to be properly documented in the definitive agreements.

“We are excited about this transaction, and we look forward to working with ARESOL. This transaction when completed will be Ecolomondo’s entry into Europe, well in line with the Company’s long-term strategic objectives to become a global company, creating sustainable products from end-of-life tyres”, said Jean-François Labbé, Interim CEO of Ecolomondo.

Fornnax Conferred with ‘Best Brand 2024’ by ET Now

Satnam Singh
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Fornnax Conferred with ‘Best Brand 2024’ by ET Now

Gujarat based recycling machinery producer Fornnax Technology Pvt Ltd, bestowed with the prestigious ET Now ‘Best Brand 2024’ award

The recognition demonstrates company’s considerable contributions to the recycling industry, firmly establishing FORNNAX’s status as an industry leader.

Situated in the bustling industrial hub of Ahmedabad, Fornnax specialises in the production of top-tier recycling equipment tailored to the ever-evolving needs of the recycling sector.

While accepting the award, Jignesh Kundaria, Director & CEO, Fornnax Technology emphasised, “We are dedicated to pioneering sustainable recycling solutions with our innovative offerings. Our mission goes beyond merely selling equipment; we are building a lasting business. This philosophy is at the core of who we are. This accolade inspires us to continue innovating and developing groundbreaking solutions for the recycling industry.”

The Economic Times presented this distinguished award to acknowledge and celebrate exceptional accomplishments within the recycling machinery manufacturing sector.

The selection process for the ‘Best Brand 2024’ award entailed a meticulous evaluation of several critical parameters, including brand value, market longevity of equipment, annual turnover, a remarkable 30 per cent growth rate, and strong brand recall among industry professionals and customers. These criteria reflect the extensive nature of the award and highlight the significance of Fornnax achievements.

Tana Oy CEO Kalle Saarimaa Steps into New Challenges  

Ewan Scott
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Tana Oy CEO Kalle Saarimaa Steps into New Challenges  

Tana Oy, has announced CEO Kalle Saarimaa, who has held the position since 2023, has been appointed the new COO of NG Nordic starting mid-February

Saarimaa will, however, continue working on Tana Oy’s strategic growth plans and acquisition projects as an active board member in Tana. Additionally, Saarimaa will also continue to as a shareholder in Tana.

Effective from February 10, Henri Kinnunen, VP of Product Management and Business Development, will take on the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer until a new CEO will start. The Tana Board will announce the new CEO later in January. With extensive international business expertise and a deep understanding of the global waste management sector and circular economy, Kinnunen is well positioned to lead the organisation through this transitional phase.

“Kalle Saarimaa has been a driving force in shaping Tana’s vision and growth strategy,” says Aaro Cantell, chairman of the Tana Board. “We are very grateful to Kalle for his active and visionary leadership as well as his commitment to continue to support Tana’s growth as a Board Member. We also wish him every success in his future challenges. Tana Oy is now very well positioned to continue executing its growth plans, to delivering cutting-edge machines and services, and to upholding its commitment to innovation and excellence.”

Reflecting on his leadership at Tana, Saarimaa shared: “It has been an honour to lead Tana and work with such an extraordinary team. During this time, we have extended our ownership base, developed a growth strategy for the company, and opened new markets. I’m privileged to continue to be part of Tana’s growth journey in the role of board member and shareholder.”

Rubber Conversion Achieves EcoVadis Gold Sustainability Rating

Ewan Scott
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Rubber Conversion Achieves EcoVadis Gold Sustainability Rating

Rubber Conversion is proud to announce a significant milestone in its sustainability journey—receiving the prestigious Gold Medal in the EcoVadis Sustainability Rating

This achievement places the company in the top 5% of businesses globally, surpassing 95% of companies worldwide assessed by EcoVadis in the last year.

 “This Gold rating reflects our dedication to create lasting, meaningful change”, said Cveta Majtanovic, ChiefSustainability Officer, “Our Sustainable Rubber Compounds® (SRC) range, derived from end-of-life tyre (ELT) materials, is already being successfully adopted by leading tyre manufacturers at high concentrations (>20phr) for use across various product categories (PCR, TBR, AGRI, OTR). This innovation not only significantly reduces CO2 emissions but also ensures no compromise on product performance or tire labelling”.

EcoVadis evaluates companies based on four key areas: Environment, Labour and Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. Achieving a Gold rating means Rubber Conversion has not only met but exceeded industry standards in these critical areas, positioning the company among the most innovative and responsible global leaders in the sustainable business landscape.

“We are incredibly proud of this achievement”, said Francesco Di Pierro, CEO of Rubber Conversion. “In an era where environmental responsibility is no longer optional, the rubber industry faces a crucial challenge—innovating rapidly and at scale to replace traditional raw materials with sustainable, recycled, and bio-based alternatives, without compromising product performance. At Rubber Conversion, we’ve embraced this challenge through our proprietary low temperature devulcanisation technology, a globally patented process that is revolutionizing the recycling of post-production and post-consumer rubber”.

To celebrate, EcoVadis will plant a tree on Rubber Conversion’s behalf through One Tree Planted, further strengthening this commitment to a greener future. 

“This Gold rating is more than just a score—it’s a clear reflection of our vision to drive a greener future”, Majtanovic added. “In addition to this prestigious recognition, Rubber Conversion has also been honoured with a Meaningful Business Membership in 2024, which further solidifies our position within a distinguished global community of leaders who are not only committed to addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, but also to ensuring that our business practices are aligned with our purpose-driven approach. We are excited about the future and the impact we will continue to make as we build on this momentum”.

The 2025 Recircle Awards Nominations Ceremony Coming Up on January 20th

Ewan Scott
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The 2025 Recircle Awards Nominations Ceremony Coming Up on January 20th

The 2025 Recircle Awards Nominations Ceremony, organised by Retreading Business and Tyre & Rubber Recycling magazines, will take place on January 20, 6 PM CET, and will be streamed live on the Retreading Business YouTube Channel and Recircle Awards Facebook page

The nominees for all the categories will be announced during the live streams on January 20, besides the Tyre Recycling Research Project and Tyre Recycling Innovations Awards, which will be announced later on February 10.

The 14 categories that will be announced on January 20 include:

  • Retreader of the Year Award
  • Tyre Recycler of the Year Award
  • Best Retreading Industry Innovation
  • Employee of the Year
  • Best Company Director
  • Spirit of Retreading Award
  • Circular Economy Award
  • Best Rubber Tread Supplier
  • Best Retreading Equipment Supplier
  • Best Retreading Accessory and Consumables Supplier
  • Best Tyre Recycling Industry Supplier
  • Business Breakthrough Award
  • Women’s Award for the Tyre Retreading Sector
  • Women’s Award for the Tyre Recycling Sector

Voting will be open from January 20, following the Nominations Ceremony and will remain open until March 14. The winners of the fourth edition of the Recircle Awards will be announced on May 22 at Autopromotec in Bologna, Italy, with Marangoni as the Official Trophy Sponsor.

Obituary:Tyromer’s Sam Visaisouk

Ewan Scott
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Obituary:Tyromer’s Sam Visaisouk

Sam Visaisouk, the man who took Tyromer from the laboratory to a commercial process has sadly passed away

Sam Visaisouk, the CEO of Tyromer Inc., was a compassionate leader, visionary, friend, dedicated family member, and above all else, simply one of the good guys. He wanted to make the world a better place and left a lasting impact and impression on those who knew him. He certainly achieved those goals. He will be missed by all who knew him.


In a release from Tyromer, the company stated; “Sam started his journey with Tyromer over 15 years ago, and through his efforts and vision, the company has scaled up and progressed to where it is today. Sam had incredible positive energy and truly valued the personal and business relationships that he developed. There is no doubt Sam will be dearly missed, and we cherish the fond memories of our time together.

“2025 will undoubtedly be a year of transition for Tyromer. Thankfully, Sam has given the company a solid foundation to build on as we enter the next phase of business. He wanted us to continue to expand the Tyromer footprint and make the largest positive impact possible.”

While there is no fully replacing Sam, his own son Jon Visaisouk will take over duties as CEO. At the same time, Tyromer Europe has also welcomed Frans Ghijsen as their new CEO. As the Tyromer family grieves for Sam, we all look forward to carrying on his legacy and contributing to a greener future for all of us. He will be missed by all who knew him, not just as a businessman, but as a character and friend.

Pyrum Innovations AG: Building Permit for Thermo Lysi SA Plant in Greece

Ewan Scott
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Pyrum Innovations AG: Building Permit for Thermo Lysi SA Plant in Greece

Pyrum partner receives building permit for the planned Pyrum plant in Greece, with groundbreaking expected for summer 2025

Last week, the Greek project company Thermo Lysi SA received approval for the construction of a Pyrum plant for the recycling of waste using the pyrolysis process.

This means that all the necessary permits and licences for the construction of the new plant in Greece have been successfully completed and the project is now considered “fully approved”.

From a regulatory perspective, nothing now prevents a final investment decision from being taken. This decision is expected in the first half of 2025. In the next step, the long leads, i.e. the plant components with the longest delivery times, are expected to be ordered in the second quarter of 2025, to ensure a smooth construction phase later on. Thermo Lysi expects to break ground in summer 2025.

Pascal Klein, CEO of Pyrum Innovations AG said; “We are delighted to start the new year with this positive news. Now that all the necessary permits have been granted, we can start the next planning phase. With this construction, our technology crosses the national border for the first time, so we can now look forward to the next joint steps. In future, a further 20,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres per year will be returned to the recycling cycle in the most environmentally friendly way.”

Pyrum Innovations AG and Thermo Lysi SA have previously agreed on the construction of a joint plant in Greece with a recycling capacity of 20,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres per year. The recycling plant will be built on a site about 140 km north of Athens in the Livanates region and will recycle almost half of the annual volume of end-of-life tyres in Greece. Pyrum has planned to acquire a 15 per cent equity stake in the project company.

CLEPA Innovation Award goes to Continental’s UltraContact NXT

Ewan Scott
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CLEPA Innovation Award goes to Continental’s UltraContact NXT

The UltraContact NXT has a proportion of up to 65 percent renewable, recycled and ISCC PLUS mass balance certified materials

Continental’s UltraContact NXT has won the CLEPA Innovation Award in the “Green” category. The European Automotive Suppliers Association has thus awarded Continental’s most sustainable production tyre to date. Depending on the tyre size, the UltraContact NXT has a proportion of up to 65 percent renewable, recycled and ISCC PLUS mass balance certified materials.

“With the UltraContact NXT, Continental has combined maximum sustainability with best-in-class performance. We are proud that the CLEPA Innovation Award jury has recognised this technological achievement,” said Catherine Loss, Head of Tyre Program Management EMEA at Continental, who accepted the award in Brussels.

Depending on the tyre size, the UltraContact NXT has a proportion of up to 65 per cent renewable, recycled and mass balance certified materials. The proportion of renewable materials is up to 32 per cent. Recycled materials account for up to 5 per cent. In addition, Continental sources up to 28 per cent ISCC PLUS mass balance certified materials from bio-based, bio-circular and circular raw materials. All available sizes have the highest EU Tyre Label rating (‘A’) in the areas of rolling resistance, wet braking and exterior noise.

The CLEPA Innovation Award is awarded annually by CLEPA, the European Automotive Suppliers Association, to honour the most innovative products and technologies in the European automotive industry. Founded in 1959 and based in Brussels, CLEPA represents more than 3,000 companies in the international automotive supplier sector.

The UltraContact NXT has already won several awards since its market launch, including the Sustainability Award at the Swiss Automotive Show Innovation Awards 2023, the International Design Award 2023 and the German Innovation Award 2024.

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