Despite two decades of reform, Europe’s tyre recycling ecosystem remains mired in regulatory inertia and market fragmentation. While the EU successfully curbed tyre landfilling in the early 2000s and achieved high collection rates, true circularity remains elusive. Over half of collected tyres are still incinerated rather than recycled into new products. The lack of mandatory recycled content targets, harmonised end-of-waste criteria and coherent eco-design regulations continue to stall progress. As environmental stakes rise and end-markets like artificial turf face bans, EuRIC’s latest manifesto lays bare the urgent need for systemic reform, spotlighting persistent policy voids, legal ambiguities and missed opportunities across the value chain.

Europe’s tyre recycling challenges have been building for over two decades. Back in 1999, the European Union banned tyre landfilling under Directive 1999/31/EC. This forced a major shift, and by 2003, landfilling tyres was officially prohibited. At that point, Europe still struggled to manage the sheer volume of end-of-life tyres (ELTs), often resorting to incineration or exporting them for disposal elsewhere.

Since then, collection rates improved dramatically, from around 25 percent in the mid-1990s to nearly 95 percent by 2010, but recycling quality remained substandard. Although most ELTs were collected, half were used for energy recovery, not material recycling. True circular solutions like reusing rubber in new tyres have lagged due to technological and regulatory hurdles

Complex EU regulations, limited mandates on recycled content and ecological concerns slow innovation. Over the past few years, initiatives like Life Green Vulcan, BlackCycle and policy push from the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) show growing momentum, but real impact is yet to be seen.

EuRIC has been constantly advocating reforms that would change the course of the continent’s tyre recycling space with its recent manifesto delving into the immediate steps that ought to be undertaken to strengthen the tyre recycling industry.

EuRIC, through its Mechanical Tyres Recycling Branch (MTR), outlined a comprehensive vision for strengthening Europe’s tyre recycling sector. With over five million tonnes of tyres produced annually in the EU and around three million tonnes becoming ELTs, only about half are recycled – the rest are incinerated. EuRIC underscores the environmental advantages of mechanical tyre recycling and advocates for prioritising it over energy recovery to align with circular economy goals.

Speaking to Tyre Trends on the biggest obstacles to implementing mandatory recycled rubber content targets in new tyres and how industry collaboration can help overcome them, EuRIC’s Technical Advisor for tyres, Gabriel Gomez, mentioned, “Currently, the main regulatory challenge is the lack of a mandate from the authorities to define how and when the mandatory recycled content targets are to be implemented. We have received good feedback from the manufacturers in Europe regarding their willingness to include these targets. However, there is a need for a solidly defined regulatory framework that guarantees a level playing field in the tyre value chain and promotes innovation in this area.”

“The main risk of failing to implement harmonised end-of-waste criteria lies in the growing, practical need for a defined set of criteria to determine end-of-waste status. If the EU delays further in the creation of harmonised end-of-waste criteria, this will push member states to create their own national criteria, which could vary significantly and prove incompatible. This fragmentation would lead to market disruption, create confusion across the value chain and introduce legal uncertainty – all of which would ultimately weaken the European recycling industry and its competitiveness,” he added.

He noted that EuRIC strongly supports a complete ban on the export of tyres and tyre shreds for incineration or landfilling. These practices represent a misuse of valuable resources that should be reintegrated into the economy and clearly contradict the waste hierarchy in the European Waste Framework Directive.

“EuRIC, representing Europe’s tyre recyclers would welcome swift implementation of such a ban, especially since existing tools such as the Waste Shipment Regulation are already being used to prevent exports to operators and facilities that do not ensure environmentally sound treatment of these materials,” noted Gomez.

THE MANIFESTO

The recently published manifesto by EuRIC proposes five key policy actions to address systemic barriers and unlock the potential of tyre recycling. First, it calls for mandatory recycled content targets – 10 percent for new tyres and 20 percent for automotive parts – to stimulate demand and reduce reliance on virgin rubber. Public procurement and financial incentives like VAT reductions are also suggested to support this demand shift. Currently, artificial turf accounts for a major share of ELT-derived rubber, but impending bans on micro-plastics threaten this end-market, making policy support more critical.

Second, EuRIC demands a ban on the export of unprocessed and shredded waste tyres outside the EU. ELTs are often exported to regions with weak environmental controls, where they are landfilled or incinerated. Countries like India have become significant importers, raising environmental and regulatory concerns. To counter this, EuRIC stresses the need for strict enforcement of the EU’s Waste Shipment Regulation and advocates for EU-wide end-of-waste (EoW) criteria to facilitate trade within the EU and promote high-value recycling.

Thirdly, the manifesto emphasises the importance of eco-design in tyres, urging that tyres be made retreadable, recyclable and free from hazardous substances. Innovations like self-sealing and noise-reducing foams, while performance-enhancing, impede recycling and can even cause fires during shredding. EuRIC supports the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and wants tyre manufacturers to bear the cost of non-recyclable designs.

Fourth, EuRIC promotes the Digital Product Passport (DPP) as a key enabler of recycling efficiency. Current data on tyres is insufficient; hence, they propose leveraging RFID technology to track chemical composition and recyclability through a centralised database. This transparency would help recyclers better handle materials and comply with chemical regulations.

Lastly, the manifesto addresses the need for a science-based chemicals policy that supports recycling rather than undermining it. The current trend towards hazard-based regulation with near-zero thresholds for certain chemicals risks sidelining recycled materials. EuRIC urges a shift towards risk-based assessments, transparent

testing methods and harmonised standards to ensure recycled materials remain viable in the EU’s green transition.

TOWARDS RECYCLABILITY

According to Gomez, mechanical tyre recycling is a recycling method for rubber that has stood the test of time. It remains the most common and best-established route for recycling tyres in Europe with the technology offering high-quality output. It also has the added value that it can serve as a reliable supplier for further processing technologies dealing with vulcanised rubber. Recycled rubber from ELTs offers significant potential for technologies that require a uniform and predictable input to maintain control over industrial processes.

Nonetheless, over three years after rubber from ELTs was prioritised, no regulation has materialised yet. Commenting on what lead to the stalling, Gomez noted, “The past year has brought major changes at EU level with the start of a new Commission mandate, which may explain the shift in priorities. However, at EuRIC we are working closely with manufactures and policymakers to keep the issue high on the agenda. We see harmonised EoW criteria as a key opportunity to align the interests of recyclers and manufacturers. Harmonised EoW criteria would bring significant benefits for the entire value chain, from boosting investment and legal certainty to increasing the uptake of recycled materials.”

Alluding to whether the current EU chemicals legislation, especially restrictions on substances like PAHs, appropriately balances environmental protection with the needs of a circular economy or does it unintentionally favour virgin materials, he stated, “It is not a matter of favouring virgin materials. The main issue is that the current legislation is not designed to consider that the materials in an article may have more than one life. Whenever the legislation targets the content of a substance in a recycled material, sometimes it fails to consider the real exposure to the substance based on the application and the nature of the material.”

Digital Product Passport is another vital tool for the entire industry’s circularity goals. While it is still in its early stages, EuRIC notes that there are projects that target the implementation of the DPP in tyres and it is optimistic about the possibilities this tool offers to the industry. Amongst the information that the DPP should make available for recyclers is the contents of substances of concern and hazardous substances as well as any substances or features that would hinder the recycling of the tyres. With this information in hand, the recyclers will be able to sort the tyres in a manner that allows for safer recycled products and more efficient processing.

PERSISTENT HURDLES

According to Gomez, illegal or poorly regulated exports of tyres create serious problems both economically and environmentally. They drain valuable raw materials from the EU and risk harming the environment and public health in importing countries if ELTs are not treated in an environmentally sound manner.

Furthermore, the loss goes beyond the economic aspect when it comes to the materials used on tyres. Incinerating ELTs destroys a valuable resource like rubber and locks us into a linear economy model that’s no longer fit for purpose. Recycling, on the other hand, and overall circularity of tyres, keeps materials in the loop, boosts resilience and contributes to EU sustainability and competitiveness.

A strong starting point to combat illegal exports would be the rigorous enforcement of the Waste Shipment Regulation, specifically targeting ELT exports. If recyclers can count on a steady, reliable supply of materials, they will invest. Increased availability of material and supply security are essential to encourage investments in recycling.

“An important take-away of the policy related to tyre recycling is that tyres should be treated as strategic resources, not just waste. Tyres are essential to every economy activity and inevitably reach its end-of-life stage. This makes it critical to regulate the full lifecycle, from design to disposal, with circularity in mind. Aligning on principles, like prioritising recycling over landfilling or incineration, would already be a big step forward globally,” averred Gomez.

Commenting whether Europe’s mechanical recycling infrastructure is equipped to handle a sharp increase in ELTs if exports are banned, he mentioned, “The mechanical tyre recyclers in Europe are determined to meet the challenge and tackle the increase in ELTs if an export ban is implemented. However, unlocking further capacity and investments in future development projects depend on regulatory certainty. That means a guaranteed level playing field through harmonised EoW criteria, recycled content targets and eco-design for improved recyclability. With the right framework and tools, uncertainty can be removed and investments will follow.”

While the mandatory recycled content requirements are essential to boost recycling, complementary short-term financial incentives, whether market-based or fiscal, are equally necessary to close the price gap between primary and recycled materials. Fiscal incentives, such as reduced VAT rates for recycled materials and products made from recycled materials, can play a major role in encouraging uptake. Green public procurement also holds substantial potential to stimulate demand for more sustainable and circular products.

Recycled materials from ELTs have real potential in the EV supply chain. Interest is growing, and EuRIC is confident that recycled rubber can be a reliable, high-quality material to support the shift to greener mobility.

Gomez noted that there are many encouraging examples of manufacturers incorporating recycled and sustainable materials into tyre design. A great advantage that recycled materials from ELTs offer is the availability of high-quality recycled raw materials that reliably allow manufacturers to experiment and innovate as they know that the recycling industry is capable and ready to deliver.

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Scandinavian Enviro Systems AB publ has signed a letter of intent with an undisclosed partner to explore the possibility of licensing its advanced tyre pyrolysis technology for deployment in North America.

The collaboration will focus on conducting a comprehensive feasibility study to evaluate the technical and commercial viability of establishing one or multiple facilities dedicated to processing end-of-life tyres using Enviro’s proprietary method. This study is designed to provide the potential licensee with the necessary insights to assess the prospects of entering into a long-term commercial arrangement and formal technology licensing agreement.

It is important to note that any definitive agreements will depend entirely on the study's outcomes and subsequent negotiations. At this stage, there is no guarantee that the evaluation will lead to binding commitments or that the proposed transaction will ultimately materialise.

Fredrik Aaben, CEO, Scandinavian Enviro Systems, said, “We continue to see strong international interest in Enviro’s technology, and this letter of intent is yet another proof of this.”

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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, a global price increase for all polymer products with effect from 1 April 2026. The price hike will range from USD 440 per MT to USD 700 per MT, or as individual contract terms permit, with the exact price change varying according to the polymer type and production location.

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Orion S.A., a global speciality chemicals company, has announced a global price increase for its portfolio of speciality carbon black. These changes, which are set to take effect immediately or as soon as individual contract terms permit, will see prices rise by up to 25 percent.

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