It is well known that tires carry negative connotations and criticism. As a material, they are often seen as pollutants. However, tire recycling is gaining momentum to mitigate its negative impacts and enhance its positive contributions. Rubber and rubber-based products are found in nearly all finished goods, and as a key component, they are not going to disappear anytime soon. For this reason, recycling or repurposing rubber has become the foundation of this industry.
With new technological advances, new ways to recycle tires or convert them into something else are expected. Market trends, the push to promote ESG principles, and investments in efforts to reduce environmental impacts are driving changes in the rubber industry. Environmental concern and pollution are major issues that have become guiding principles of sustainable business development, including in this sector. A step toward the future means addressing these concerns and finding solutions to reduce rubber waste.
The Market Is Growing Rapidly, Along with Product Volume
Industrial developments and the emergence of new industries have led to increased demand and need for rubber and rubber components. With rising demand comes increased production and more rubber products. All these products have a lifespan and, once used, are classified as waste. It’s also important to note that leftovers and byproducts in manufacturing create additional waste that must be managed. For these reasons, the tire recycling market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2024 to 2033. Although most tire recycling focuses on car tires and other vehicle tires, other rubber products are starting to make up a larger share.
The growth of the tire recycling market alone reflects the sheer volume of rubber products produced and available. The problem arises because rubber has a long lifespan and is not biodegradable — not to mention the composites and chemicals used in its production. The environmental impact of rubber as a raw material is significant and long-lasting. Current recycling options are limited to certain product types. In many cases, the cost of recycling exceeds the cost of disposal, leading many manufacturers to choose more cost-effective solutions.
What Tire Recycling Means
Tire recycling refers to the repurposing or restoration of rubber to its original properties so it can be reused as raw material. It involves processing irreparably damaged or used rubber and waste parts to prevent landfill disposal. The recycling process consumes less energy and raw materials than manufacturing new rubber, which eases the pressure on natural rubber production, reduces landfill size, and decreases pollution.
The advantage of tire recycling is that new technologies and innovations make it possible to transform rubber into new products, fuel, or other materials. Some recycling processes include devulcanization and pyrolysis, which have greatly facilitated the process. Another method involves grinding or cutting rubber into smaller components, enabling it to be mixed with other materials and converted into new functional products.
The biggest challenges in recycling rubber are its durability and resistance, large quantities of waste, and the hazards associated with handling and storing rubber, which is flammable and contains hazardous chemicals.
What Happens During the Tire Recycling Process?
The tire recycling process includes several important steps:
- Collection of waste rubber
- Cutting or grinding into smaller pieces using shredders or granulators
- Sorting waste
- Devulcanization of rubber
- Additional methods such as pyrolysis or cryogenic freezing
The first step, of course, is the proper collection of recyclable rubber materials. Only those rubber materials that can be further processed are collected. After collection, the rubber is reduced in size using shredders or granulators. This size reduction aids in processing and facilitates subsequent steps like sorting and vulcanization. Rubber often contains metal components or fabric, so it must be sorted to remove these elements. Then it undergoes devulcanization, a process that reverses the vulcanization of rubber to return it to its raw or base form. This material can then be mixed with raw rubber or other substances to create new materials with similar or identical physical properties.
In addition to devulcanization, rubber can also be frozen, which makes processing easier by turning it into granules that can be blended with other materials to create new raw materials. Pyrolysis involves heating rubber in a reactor without oxygen, breaking it down into molecules. These molecules become gases that pass into a condensation system and transform into liquid oil. This oil can be used, for example, in chemical and metal industries.
Innovation Drives Tire Recycling
Recycled rubber is increasingly used as a base material in various industries. Besides being environmentally friendly, recycled rubber offers benefits such as durability, ease of handling, and insulating properties.
For example, recycled rubber is used in the construction industry for rubber-modified asphalt, insulation, and flooring. It’s also used to produce rubberized surfaces for playgrounds and athletic tracks. More and more, it is being used in the automotive industry for manufacturing gaskets. Recycled rubber also serves as an energy source, as shown in the pyrolysis process.
With new innovations, the applications and potential uses of recycled rubber are expanding. The concept of a circular economy and the idea of guiding rubber through a cyclical process are key to preventing rubber from becoming waste that harms the environment and society. Especially with new regulations and laws, it’s vital to reduce the carbon footprint and the amount of non-biodegradable waste.
Benefits of Tire Recycling
Recycling, especially of rubber, brings many benefits. Given the size and number of landfills, one of the world’s major issues is reducing landfill use. Illegal dumping is another major problem with negative environmental consequences. Rubber in such dumps takes up significant space and does not biodegrade.
Recycling also helps reduce the carbon footprint by lowering the need for new raw materials and using less energy than producing new rubber. At every stage of the recycling cycle, costs and environmental impacts are reduced. Recycling promotes a sustainable economy and business practices, especially in resource management. It maximizes the use of materials to create new products, and less waste automatically optimizes production and input costs. When natural rubber is involved, recycling also helps reduce deforestation caused by rubber tree cultivation.
Challenges and Limitations of Tire Recycling
Although tire recycling may seem like a simple process, it is not. It requires infrastructure changes and significant initial investments in machinery and innovation. In the short term, the costs are more visible than the benefits, often discouraging rubber manufacturers from embracing a circular economy. Moreover, changing consumer behavior and getting people to adopt recycled products is a long-term challenge. There is also skepticism about whether recycled rubber has the same properties as virgin rubber.
Recycled rubber may not always match the 100% performance of original rubber in all applications. It can be complex to bring a previously processed material to high-performance standards for every use case. Technological advancements are still limited, as some current recycling techniques (e.g., devulcanization) are not fully optimized.
Another obstacle is recycling facilities. If recycling is done within the company that produces the rubber, the logistics are shorter. If the rubber must be transported to another location, the process becomes longer and requires special storage solutions. Facility capacity is also a concern.
Models That Support Waste Reduction Through Tire Recycling
Many countries and government bodies are supporting and encouraging recycling through regulations and subsidies. Their efforts promote socially responsible business practices to positively impact the environment and reduce pollution rates. International cooperation further promotes positive outcomes and helps implement such business models across various industries.
Thanks to innovations and technological advancements, more durable and resistant rubber is being developed, which should extend its lifespan and usability. This aims to reduce waste and the amount of rubber that can no longer be used. Industrial innovations also mean more efficient processes for converting existing rubber into high-quality raw materials.
All these factors contribute to increased community involvement. It’s not just industrial rubber that gets recycled—rubber from households and personal vehicles is also included. The goal is to connect all market sectors and encourage joint efforts by highlighting the benefits of recycling rubber products.
In essence, a sustainable economy can be created through collective efforts. The future of tire recycling is promising, driven by innovation, circular economy growth, and global impact. Over time, we will see progress, innovations, and long-term benefits—not just for individual companies or industries but for society and the environment as a whole.