News and feature articles relating to recycling, including collection, of end of life tyres.
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Tyre recycling company Wastefront appoints Vianney Valès CEO
Norwegian waste tyre recycling company Wastefront has appointed Vianney Valès as its new CEO, replacing founder Inge Berge, who moves to chief operating officer. Valès is a former top oil and gas executive in in companies such as Shell and Galp Energia. He was first introduced to Wastefront by its liquid offtaker Vitol in 2019, was initially engaged with the Norwegian company in his former position as CEO of Devaltec LLC, a project developer and solutions provider in new and sustainable energies. Valès will be responsible for de-risking the company’s first waste tyre plant project in Sunderland, due to begin construction in early 2022. Valès will relocate immediately to London from Houston, Texas. Wastefront added that Valès’ initial priorities will include the selection of an EPC partner, developing commercial agreements, and ensuring all outstanding permits are approved.
TRA supports West Mercia Police tyre-tagging scheme
The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) is supporting a West Mercia Police anti tyre fly-tipping initiative. The campaign, which involves retailers and others handling waste tyres, offers special marker pens to identify the origin of tyre. TRA-branded handouts and posters promoting the campaign will also be available.
Michelin validates Carbios plastic bottle to tyre recycling technology
CarbiosEvery year, 1.6 billion car tyres are sold worldwide in total. The PET fibres used in these tyres represent 800,000 tonnes of PET per year. With regards to Michelin alone, this represents nearly 3 billion plastic bottles annually. That’s why the France-based global tyre maker has been looking for ways that bottles can be recycled into technical fibres for use in the company’s tyres. Now, the company has validated that Carbios’s enzymatic process does exactly that, giving Michelin a step forward in its sustainability plans. Indeed, Michelin describes the development as “a major step towards developing 100 per cent sustainable tyres. Michelin has successfully tested and applied”. Michelin is committed to achieving 40 per cent sustainable materials (of renewable or recycled origin) by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050.
Kal Tire nears full start-up of OTR tyre recycling facility in Chile
Kal Tire reports that a full start-up is imminent at its new off-the-road (OTR) tyre recycling facility in Antofagasta, Chile. One of two thermal conversion reactors has completed commissioning and is now undergoing full load tests to process 20,000 kg of tyres, the equivalent of five 63-inch tyres. Commissioning of the facility’s second reactor is nearly complete and full production in sight.
Master’s thesis rates circular economy methods for recycling end-of-life tyres
BlackDonutsIn addition to the flurry of research relating to tyre pyrolysis published at the end of 2020 and the start of this year, in February it emerged that another related study has been released. In his master’s thesis for Tampere University, Mikko Sirén explored the best technologies for turning scrap tyres into secondary raw material and value-added products. The research project started in May 2020 as an initiative of Black Donuts, the turn-key tyre industry consultants, who desired up-to-date research of the recycling of discarded tyres as part of their circular economy initiatives.
Tyromer building pilot tyre recycling plant in Arnhem, Netherlands
TyromerCanada-based Tyromer is building a factory Arnhem, the Netherlands as a pilot before bringing it circular rubber products to the European market. Tyromer told investment bodies that it will fine-tune and exhibit its recycling technology at its new Dutch facility in order to sell the process to third parties. Located at Kleefse Waard Industrial Park (IPKW) in Arnhem, the factory is currently being ready to start early in the summer of 2021. The location employ approximately 12 people.
Cooking up better tyre pyrolysis oil compounds
“Wastes to energy: Improving the poor properties of waste tire pyrolysis oil with waste cooking oil methyl ester and waste fusel alcohol – A detailed assessment on the combustion, emission, and performance characteristics of a CI engine”, published in the journal Energy on 22 January 2021; and “Thermodynamic comparison of pyrolysis and gasification of waste tyres”, which was published in the Journal of Environment Chemical Engineering on 30 January 2021 complete our recent review of the latest peer-reviewed pyrolysis research.
Spike in tyre pyrolysis investment backed by flurry of related scientific research
Scott Donkin – stock.adobe.comWe have all witnessed the recent spike in interest in tyre pyrolysis-related recycling during the last year or so. The concepts themselves are not new, so what is behind renewed interest and confidence in such projects? As well as an uptick in investment in tyre pyrolysis plants, the last few months have also seen the publication of a flurry of peer-reviewed research papers into different aspects of waste tyre pyrolysis. As part of this year’s annual Tyre Recycling feature, we took a look at the three most recent papers in order to find out more.
Michelin tyres to be 100% sustainable by 2050
MichelinWhen Michelin launched its e.Primacy range in mid-November 2020, the French tyre manufacturer did so in the context of a goal to make all Michelin tyre 100 per cent sustainable by 2050. So how does Michelin plan to achieve this? One answer is the company’s expanding partnership with Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Enviro), details of which were recently released (see separate article). But there are other parts of this plan.
Michelin to hold 90% shareholding in Enviro, Chile joint venture
Further details of Scandinavian Enviro Systems’ cooperation with Michelin have been revealed alongside a formal notice ahead Swedish firm’s EGM on the subject of its strategic partnership with Michelin. They include an overview of: licensing rules, percentage ownership of the two companies Chile recycling joint venture and how much Enviro is investing in that project.
Recycled tyres + graphene = SpaceMat
SpaceMatAs we have all witnessed during the last 12 months, the recycled tyre business is experiencing something of a renaissance at the moment. And the abilities of wondering molecule graphene are well-documented. But what happened when you combine the two? The answer, according to one Greater Manchester-based startup is SpaceMat.
Wastefront Sunderland plant could save 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over 30 years
WastefrontWastefront recently appointed Norwegian international accredited registrar and classification society DNV GL to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment for Wastefront’s proposed tyre to hydrocarbon plant in Sunderland. The Sunderland plant, which was announced last summer and which will be delivered in association with Devaltec LLC, is due to be completed in 2023. Now Wastefront’s Sunderland plant is roughly two years away from operation, the company has shared some of the primary base-case scenario findings from the report with Tyres & Accessories.
Michelin building world first tyre recycling plant in Chile
Michelin; EnviroMichelin is investing US$30 million in building its first tyre recycling plant in the world in Chile. The project is the result of Michelin’s ongoing collaboration with Enviro, a Swedish company that has developed a patented technology to recover carbon black, oil, steel and gas from end-of-life tyres.
Located in Chile’s Antofagasta region, the plant will be able to recycle 30,000 tons of earthmover tyres a year, or nearly 60 per cent of such tyres scrapped every year nationwide. Work will begin this year, with production scheduled to get underway in 2023.
Recycled tyres used in new strengthened concrete
RMITWe’ve all heard of tyre-derived oil and rubberised tarmac, but what about tyre-utilising concrete? Australian researchers have developed a new technology to manufacture concrete made from recycled materials including tyres that is stronger and more durable than the traditional product.
