The tire recycling industry is steadily progressing toward a fully circular economy, with innovations such as pyrolysis and the recovery of carbon black enabling the sustainable reuse of end-of-life tires.

When you think of a circular economy, tires might not be the first thing that springs to mind. Their identities are concealed in plain sight. Every year, nearly 1 billion tires reach the end of their service life, and the consequences of discarding, hoarding, and dumping tires include fires and mosquito breeding.

End-of-life tires (ELT) are a valuable resource for the circular economy. While natural rubber is essential, it only accounts for roughly a fifth of a passenger vehicle’s tire. Synthetic polymers, steel, and textiles all play a role in the process, each serving a distinct purpose in tire performance and remaining valuable at the end of their life cycle. However, ensuring that these components are put to good use necessitates careful planning, research, and management.

The majority of end-of-life tires have already been recovered; the next step is to achieve circularity.

According to the 2019 Global ELT Management report from the Tire Industry Project (TIP), a CEO-led sustainability forum for the tire industry that is part of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the majority of ELT has already been recovered. In the 45 countries studied, which account for over 80% of the world’s vehicles in use, 86% of ELT was recovered. These discoveries indicate a considerable advancement in recent decades. Only 30% of the ELT was recovered in the United States 30 years ago, compared to 75% in 2019.

The tire industry continues to move forward, with its next stop being circularity. TIP members, leaders in the tire industry, provide valuable insight into where the industry is headed. Some tire manufacturers have started rethinking the materials they utilize. For example, Goodyear has replaced petroleum-based components in some tread compounds with soybean oil. By 2025, Pirelli wants to employ at least 40% renewable ingredients in certain consumer tires.

Bridgestone has invested in the development of guayule, a rubber-producing plant native to the hot and dry environments of the southwestern United States and north-central Mexico, to achieve more sustainable natural rubber and to reduce reliance on Hevea brasiliensis. These trees provide the world’s supply of natural rubber. The Michelin Group’s 2050 goal of getting all of its resources from recycled or renewable sources will help the industry move closer to circularity. The company also recycles end-of-life tires.

TIP members focus on enhancing global knowledge of ELT management as a whole, recognizing the importance of research for ongoing improvement (through initiatives such as its state of knowledge reports). According to tire makers, recyclers, and regulators, more research and innovation are needed to support the long-term management of ELT. The United States Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) estimated a 20% decline in tire recycling nationwide since 2013, highlighting the need for market development last year.

The USTMA’s president and CEO, Anne Forristall Luke, said in a statement: “Three decades after we successfully eliminated 94 percent of the over 1 billion scrap tires stockpiled around the country, this report reveals that efforts to find and develop new uses for scrap tires have stalled”. She also added that “we must take immediate steps to grow new and existing markets to recycle 100 percent of scrap tires. This not only protects our health and the environment — it drives innovation and jobs.”

Rubber-modified asphalt is a promising circular solution.

Through study, experimentation, and activism, organizations like The Ray, a nonprofit developing net-zero roadway solutions on an 18-mile stretch of interstate highway in Georgia, are paving the way for a circular economy for tires. This year, The Ray collaborated with USTMA to investigate the environmental impacts and benefits of one end-of-life tire destination: rubber-modified asphalt, a cutting-edge paving material made from asphalt cement and ground end-of-life tires (ELT) that has a significantly lower carbon footprint than traditional asphalt pavement.

The Ray has already implemented rubber-modified asphalt on one mile of the interstate’s four lanes, resulting in the upcycling of nearly 40,000 pounds of rubber from End-of-Life Tires (ELT). During testing of the pavement, Allie Kelly, executive director of The Ray, notes that the organization is examining prior studies, exploring topics such as: Does rubber-modified asphalt truly provide quieter, longer-lasting roadways that resist cracking, as researchers hope? Are certain roads more effective at managing stormwater? Is it possible to lessen tire wear by adding rubber?

The study found that rubber-modified asphalt is a promising circular solution that reduces costs over the asphalt’s life, extends pavement life, and reduces roadway noise, among other verified benefits. Recognizing the importance of End-of-Life Tire (ELT) management, the Ray is pushing for innovation throughout the tire’s lifetime.

The World Economic Forum believes that a circular economy “requires unprecedented collaboration”. TIP’s 10-member businesses are unlikely to be able to change the global management of ELT on their own. That’s the beauty of TIP’s knowledge-sharing approach: good practices and ideas that work should be shared. The major drivers of progress toward a circular economy for tires will be information sharing and stakeholder collaboration.

Close the Loop: Build a True Circular Tire Economy with Klean Industries

The transition from linear to circular in the tire industry is already happening. Klean Industries is leading this shift with proven pyrolysis and rCB technologies that enable manufacturers and recyclers to turn waste into valuable resources while meeting global ESG goals.

Want to accelerate your circular transition?

Klean provides scalable, bankable solutions backed by decades of engineering expertise, project deployment experience, and rigorous product quality assurance.

Get in Touch with Klean to Build a Circular Economy for Tires — From Raw Material to Recovery » GO.