The Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA) called out the country’s waste tyre recycling system a ‘ticking time bomb’. The country with an estimated population of about 62 million has more than 13 million registered vehicles including roughly eight million passenger cars and generates an estimated 200,000–250,000 tonnes of waste tyres from road vehicles alone each year.

This has created a major environmental and waste-management challenge alongside rising vehicle ownership.

Commenting on the issue, Executive Director of Operations at REDISA Stacey Jansen told Tyre Trends, “Waste tyre management in South Africa has, in effect, collapsed since the Waste Management Bureau under the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DDFE) took over in 2017. The effect is overfull depots posing significant fire risks including the dumping and burning of tyres illegally causing harmful chemicals to seep into groundwater and causing severe air pollution.”

“Economically, a huge opportunity is being missed, in that a structured management programme geared towards recycling can not only create jobs but also contribute to the circular economy as a whole. This was precisely what REDISA did between 2013 and 2017,” she added.

She also stated that internal research has shown that a functional waste plan for just 13 waste streams could raise South Africa’s GDP growth by 1.5 percentage points. For a country struggling with unemployment and stagnation, this is an avenue that must be pursued.

REDISA alleges serious governance failures within the DFFE and the Waste Management Bureau. The first problem is that no dependable data exists.

“We all know that there is a problem, but we don’t know the extent of it. The department’s figures and reports are filled with inconsistencies and errors and this impacts any effective decision-making on how to fix the issue of waste tyre management,” said Jansen.

Secondly, she argues that there does not seem to be a realisation that the government cannot handle waste tyre management on its own as it does not have the expertise, technology or experience.

Thirdly, more headline-grabbing issues such as conservation and climate, which are important, of course, receive a lot of attention. But ground-level interventions such as waste management, while not as media-friendly, offer real and relatively immediate ways to address environmental and economic problems, she stated.

THE BOMBARDING

The Biesiesvlei depot fire in 2023 caused extensive environmental damage. Alluding to the lessons learned from the incident, Jansen said, “This is a question perhaps best posed to the DFFE. Since that disaster, we have not seen a country-wide response that puts the safety of citizens and the environment first. If something isn’t done on a national scale, more depots will burn, releasing extremely toxic pollutants into the air.”

Moreover, the auctioning of nearly R100 million (USD 5–5.5 million) worth of unused pre-processing equipment has been called an ‘admission of failure’ by REDISA. Commenting on this, Jansen said, “We wish the government could tell us how they ended up idle. Either they bought the wrong equipment or they were unable to deploy it. The right decisions were clearly not made by the leadership in the department.”

Moreover, the exclusion of small businesses and micro-collectors from the current system has also impacted tyre collection, illegal dumping and rural employment.

According to Jansen, from 2013 to 2017, REDISA managed waste tyres in South Africa. In a short space of time, it built 22 tyre collection centres, employed more than 3 000 people and created 226 small waste enterprises.

This was all funded by a management fee levied on plan subscribers (producers and importers) as part of the approved Industry Waste Tyre Plan. In February 2017, following a legislative change, the state imposed an environmental levy, which replaced the fee REDISA was collecting. The levy is still being collected today, but the producers and the citizens are not seeing their money channelled into effective waste tyre management.

In fact, more than half of the money collected is going into the general tax fund. The result has been job losses, mostly in urban areas.

REDISA also claimed that the government underspent on tyre transport due to lack of storage space. Answering how does this contradiction affect the integrity of the waste tyre management system, she said, “The department admits this underspend and gives the reason in its latest annual report. They are silent on the consequences, but it can only lead to illegal dumping and burning of tyres. If you drive by almost any informal settlement or urban fringe in South Africa, you will see dumped tyres. And this could be transformed into an asset under the right system.”

CLEAR VIEW

During her interaction, Jansen encouraged citizens and journalists to visit waste tyre depots in their communities and see if they adhere to safety standards viz-a-viz 6-metre fire breaks between heaps, 8-metre gaps to buildings and fences, maximum heap size of 10 metre x 20 metre and more.

Collectors and transporters regularly complain to REDISA that the situation at the overfull depots and dumps have worsened so much since 2017 and that they are deeply concerned.

Questioning the sustainability of the current approach, Jansen said that generating nearly 70,000 waste tyres every day makes an over-reliance on storage depots deeply flawed. “This is not sustainable at all. The only outcome will be increased air pollution, contaminated groundwater and heightened fire risks. It is an attempt to apply a band-aid to the problem without addressing its root cause,” she said.

Jansen was equally critical of the DFFE’s decision to issue tenders for 32 new depots covering close to one million square metres. According to her, the move signals more than a stop-gap response. “I would describe it as an acknowledgement of defeat and clear evidence of an inability to effectively address tyre recycling in South Africa,” she added.

Reflecting on South Africa’s earlier leadership in circular tyre waste management, Jansen said restoring that position would not require sweeping policy or structural reforms. “The DFFE does not need new frameworks or radical changes. What is required is leadership that acknowledges the scale of the crisis and a willingness to return to a model that has already proven its worth, the internationally recognised REDISA model,” she said.

The warning signs are no longer theoretical. Idle equipment, expanding depots and rising illegal dumping point to a system drifting further from circularity. Without decisive leadership and a return to proven, accountable models, South Africa risks compounding environmental damage, economic loss and public health threats, allowing a ticking time bomb to keep counting down.

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Kraton Corporation, a leading global producer of speciality polymers and high-value bio-based chemicals derived from pine wood pulping co-products, has announced a price increase of USD 220 per metric tonne, equivalent to USD 0.10 per pound, across all polymer products sold in North America. The affected lines include Kraton D SBS, Kraton D SIS and Kraton G SEBS/SEPS.

According to the company, the adjustment is necessary to offset significant and sustained increases in feedstocks, energy, logistics, process materials and other manufacturing costs. The increase will take effect on 1 December 2026 or as permitted by applicable contracts.

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Evonik, a global speciality chemicals company, has completed a EUR 52 million expansion of its silicone platform at the Essen Goldschmidtstrasse site in Germany, constructing a new production plant and a large tank farm. The facility raises output capacity for organomodified silicones, a core product group in the company’s global silicone network.

The Essen site operates as a central node in that network, closely tied to Evonik facilities in Geesthacht, Obernburg and Wittenburg in Germany, Pandino in Italy, Shanghai in China and Hopewell, Virginia, in the United States. The expansion strengthens the resilience of this international production system by lessening the need to ship intermediates and finished goods between locations.

Logistics infrastructure has been optimised to support more efficient operations. A new 150-metre pipe bridge links four production units and 15 manufacturing assets to the tank farm, which comprises five stainless-steel tanks, the tallest standing 24 metere and holding substantial quantities of key raw materials. The result is steadier production, more robust supply chains and reduced reliance on short-term deliveries. The tank farm has enlarged the Essen site from 32 to 35 hectares.

The project was executed with the site fully operational and despite constrained space, drawing on roughly 80 Evonik employees and over 230 contractors from 25 partner companies. Essen Goldschmidtstrasse also features in Evonik’s newly developed long-term plans, which assign a clear profile to each of six major production sites – Essen Goldschmidtstrasse, Marl, Wesseling, Darmstadt/Weiterstadt, Rheinfelden and Hanau – as guidelines for future development. Under this framework, Essen Goldschmidtstrasse is positioned as a centre of excellence for customer-specific formulations.

Lauren Kjeldsen, the Evonik Management Board member responsible for the Custom Solutions segment, to which the business belongs, said, “This expansion strengthens our silicone production platform, enhancing supply chain resilience and creating a strong foundation for profitable growth. This latest investment highlights the important role that our innovative German sites play in the success of our global operations.”

Roberto VilaKeller, head of the responsible Business Line Interface & Polyurethane Additives, said, “The investment in Essen strengthens our global production network and further enhances our ability to serve customers reliably around the world. It significantly expands our production capabilities, reduces potential bottlenecks and creates opportunities for future growth in attractive markets.”

Thomas Kufen, Mayor of Essen, said, “At a time when industrial investment is more important than ever, projects of this scale send a strong signal for Essen’s economy and the wider region. They secure high-quality jobs, strengthen competitiveness and demonstrate the international attractiveness of our city as an industrial hub.”

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The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) has published its Monthly Natural Rubber Statistical Report for September 2026, a month marked by broad-based price gains. Firm fundamentals, constrained supply and steady downstream demand combined with geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty to lift prices. Renewed Middle East conflict and disruptions to major shipping routes weighed on sentiment, while energy markets were especially affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on transiting vessels, which raised risks to global energy supplies and strengthened the crude oil risk premium.

According to the report, physical prices for most major grades advanced. SMR-20 in Kuala Lumpur averaged USD 2.50/kg, up 7.96 percent month-on-month, and STR-20 in Bangkok rose 5.80 percent to USD 2.53/kg. RSS-3 in Bangkok slipped 0.30 percent to USD 2.79/kg, while RSS-4 in Kottayam eased 1.39 percent to USD 2.88/kg. Latex-in-bulk in Malaysia gained 3.60 percent to average USD 1.79/kg. Cautious tyre-manufacturer purchasing, limited to immediate needs after earlier increases, weighed on the RSS market. Latex drew support from tight supply, as persistent rainfall disrupted tapping and limited fresh and concentrated latex availability, while glove, healthcare and industrial demand held stable.

Trade flows diverged. China's imports grew 2.56 percent month-on-month, India's 11.36 percent and Malaysia's 17.85 percent, whereas Viet Nam's fell 3.40 percent. Exports rose 3.07 percent in Thailand, 7.30 percent in Malaysia and 1.91 percent in Cambodia, while Indonesia edged down 1.40 percent and Viet Nam recorded the steepest decline at 9.72 percent.

Global production is projected at 15.039 million tonnes in 2026, up 0.6 percent from 14.953 million tonnes in 2025, with September output estimated at 1.4 million tonnes. Uneven rainfall and elevated temperatures slowed supply recovery across Southeast Asia. Global demand is forecast to rise 0.4 percent to 15.356 million tonnes from 15.301 million tonnes, with the largest volume increases among ANRPC member countries. Prospects depend on vehicle sales, tyre production, shipping conditions and weather-related disruptions, while expanding electric-vehicle markets in China, India and Europe support modest growth.

The ringgit traded between RM4.04 and RM4.10 per US dollar, and the baht between THB 32.89 and 33.55. The SHFE January 2027 contract averaged CNY 19,070/tonne, up 5.3 percent month-on-month, and the SGX December 2026 contract averaged USD 2.41/kg, up 7.6 percent. Brent crude averaged USD 114.16 per barrel, a 25.3 percent monthly increase driven by geopolitical risks and shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz.

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Birla Carbon, a leading global supplier of carbon materials, will exhibit at the International Rubber Conference (IRC) 2026, scheduled for 2–6 November in Nagoya, Japan, at Booth B. The company aims to address application-specific demands arising from the shift towards electric mobility, which places greater emphasis on tyre wear and energy efficiency while requiring automotive rubber components to balance durability with ride comfort.

A Very High Structure (VHS) lineup awaits manufacturers of passenger car, light truck, truck and bus tyres. These grades were engineered to meet electrification requirements and tightening standards such as Euro 7, delivering gains in tread wear, energy efficiency and tyre longevity.

Sustainability also features prominently. The company's Continua Sustainable Carbonaceous Materials (SCM) and Sustainable Carbon Blacks (SCB) lines, which contain higher levels of recycled or bio-based material, are intended to help tyre makers pursue circularity targets. Their dependable quality and ability to be supplied at scale in large volumes make them viable for production use, and the Continua range carries ISCC PLUS certification.

Mechanical rubber goods round out the display. Grades aimed at bushings enhance mixing and dispersion, contributing to fatigue life and component durability, while formulations for mounts pair low hysteresis and low stiffness with reinforcement so that durable parts can be produced without sacrificing ride comfort. Drop-in grades for extrusion reduce defects, scrap and screen-pack changes while raising throughput and extending service life. Simulation and technical expertise help customers assess materials, and global production plus Asian capacity growth support long-term supply.

Amit Kumar, President – Asia, Birla Carbon, said, “Asia’s tyre and rubber manufacturers are shaping the next phase of mobility, and their material requirements are becoming increasingly stringent. As the clear leader in our industry, Birla Carbon aims to grow alongside our customers, combining application-focused innovation with dependable local supply. We see performance and circularity as priorities that must progress together. By expanding our capabilities in Asia and strengthening customer partnerships, we aim to help manufacturers meet evolving market needs and build greater long-term competitiveness.”

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