The year 2020 has been a year like no other. The pandemic has brought everyone on the same platform. We all have been a mute witness to the rage of Nature and the apocalypse it can create. The question which persists in my mind is ‘Have we really learnt any lessons from the same?’ Are we going to treat Mother Earth better and build a sustainable planet for our future generation?

On a brighter note, most economies are showing signs of phenomenal recovery. The automobile sector looks to be one of the biggest beneficiaries. Vehicular traffic on the road and the number of new vehicle registrations are a big indicator of the same. In fact, an Indian two-wheeler manufacturer broke its own export record in December 2020. Our belief has proved true again. The human race has endured many such pandemics throughout the years of evolution and evolved better, stronger, smarter.

Processing ELTs

Indogreen Enviro has been involved in the process of ELTs (End of life Tyres) for about a decade.

We have been witnessing the growth of the tyre recycling industry. From the 1970-2000, the majority of organised ELT recycling was about making ‘Devulcanised rubber reclaim sheets.’ These sheets are used in a wide range of applications like tyre re-treads, bicycle tyres, conveyor belts, rubber compounds to name a few.

From 2000 onwards the market started changing due to the introduction of radial tyres. The radial tyres had high tensile steel in them and now could not be grinded directly like the nylon tyres. They need new technology Shredders, Raspers, Granulators to make it ready for grinding. This decade saw many high technology shredding and granulation plants coming up across the country. This included India’s largest and fully automated 100 Mt/annum plant till date Vapi, Gujarat. These granulation plants created a new market for ELT granules-based playground tiles and mats. The CRMB(Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen) also gained acceptance in large national road construction projects.

Batch type pyrolysis plants

From 2005 onwards, there was a new tyre recycling technology introduced to the Indian market - ‘Batch type pyrolysis plants.’ These plants were initially imported from China. Though profitable, they were extremely unstable, environmentally non-compliant and unsafe for operation. Due to their profitability ,By the year 2019,India had more than 1000 batch type-pyrolysis plants installed. The combined tyre requirement per day for these plants was about 10,000 Mt/day. That would mean a requirement of 10,00,000 passenger car tyres every day, to give a perspective. This monster had a huge appetite that could not be met with tyres from India. So these pyrolysis companies started looking for imported tyres with a perpetual supply possibility from round the globe.

There was only one challenge. The pyrolysis plants are not allowed to import tyres. The shredding companies were allowed to import with a license from DGFT. The batch type pyrolysis companies started buying container loads of tyres from the shredding companies. India started importing about 900,000 MT annually making it the largest importer of ELT in the world until July 2019.The Public Interest Litigation filed against the ‘Batch type pyrolysis plants’ put the brakes on these transactions. The government was forced to take cognisance of the humungous nature of the impending matter at hand.

This is the India story, but could be a similar story for any country from Asia where the Scrap Tyre disposal policy is not yet framed or implemented. I am taking the stance of the agitator than just being a mute spectator. There is so much that can be done than what is being done today.

Scrap tyre disposal policy

There is a strong buzz about ‘Circular Economy’ in Europe and the US. Large tyre companies and chemical giants are investing in various tyre technologies to bring the derivatives from the tyres to be reused in manufacturing new tyres. In India, we don’t even have a national scrap tyre disposal policy. Most local tyre companies are still waiting for an ‘EPR’ to start thinking of sustainable disposal. 

In fact, we as a country need ‘Circular economy.’ The responsibly recycled ELT can create high quality reclaim rubber, High calorific value oil with possibility on further hydro treatment to distil commercial grade diesel & petrol, commercial grade carbon black for manufacturing pigments, etc, liberated fibre to make thermoplastics, liberated gases that can be further processed, this can go on and on. There is so much of interest from large companies to set up plants to process this waste but they hesitate because of the lack of a government framework to support the huge capital investment required.

Despite all odds, some companies from India have done some amazing work in developing innovative ELT recycling technologies. A fine example would be Radhe Renewable Energy Development Ltd, Rajkot. They conceived, developed and now operate the ‘World Largest 100 MT Per Day Single Reactor Continuous Pyrolysis Plant ‘ for the last 8 years in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. No other company from around the globe can boast of this feat.In fact some of the large global giants who were looking for a commercial scale large continuous plant could not believe that such a plant and technology existed, that too from a non-descript town from India. This company now supplies ASTM grade Carbon Black and High Calorie fuel to Indian tyre industry beginning the ‘Circular Economy.’

Another interesting Company is Hotfut Sports, an award-winning sports infrastructure development and management company that has been one of the largest consumers of turf technology and synthetic turf products across its various formats. These products have a primary infill requirement of SBR rubber. HotFut has consciously been adapting its procurement process to ensure all SBR and infill / shock-pad requirements are sourced responsibly using recycled ELT’s / rubber scrap making all their facilities more environmentally friendly. They have structured solutions for forward thinking tyre companies wanting to pro-actively process their ELT with a win -win proposition. Many major tyre companies have found their solution very sustainable as well as profitable.

Last year, Internet was abuzz about this start up ‘Blink Green’ from Pune, India. They used ELT for making attractive ladies’ footwear and purses. They have found the utility of this wonderful waste and now is utilising her designing skill and the expertise of the cobble community to churn out beautiful, durable items for the domestic and global market.

These kinds of stories are emerging from all across the continent Imagine the power of scalability of these kind of products with the right kind of financial and marketing support.

I look forward to the day (soon) when we have the ‘Scrap tyre disposal policy’ is finally rolled out and the top tyre companies wait for the EPR policy is over. With a sizeable contribution coming out of their respective CSR budgets and ATMA’s able guidance, a national body to look at new & innovative sustainable disposal practices for ELT could be established. This would be a giant first step taken in the Asian subcontinent towards sustainable recycling of this incredible waste and thus setting a precedence for other countries to follow.

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Orion S.A., a global speciality chemicals company, has successfully secured the prestigious ISCC – the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification for its manufacturing facility located in Qingdao, China. This significant achievement is the direct result of a rigorous, independent audit process which validated that the plant’s operations fully comply with the comprehensive sustainability criteria established by ISCC.

The certification serves as a formal verification of both the transparency and the complete traceability of the sustainable raw materials integrated into the facility’s production value chain. This milestone is a key component of Orion’s overarching corporate strategy to implement and enhance sustainable practices throughout its international operations.

By achieving this globally recognised standard, the company reinforces its commitment to supplying clients with high-performance carbon black and other speciality chemical products that adhere to leading international environmental and sustainability benchmarks, thereby supporting customer goals for more responsible manufacturing.

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Ecolomondo Corporation, a Canadian developer of sustainable technology for recycling scrap tyres, has secured a provisional financing agreement with Export Development Canada (EDC) for USD 2.7 million. The funds are intended to support the final ramp-up phase of its Hawkesbury thermal decomposition plant by covering necessary capital investments and operational working capital.

Following months of negotiation, both parties have agreed in principle to the loan terms, which include augmenting an existing USD 2 million credit facility established by a subsidiary, Ecolomondo Environmental (Hawkesbury) Inc, in January 2025.

Furthermore, EDC has conditionally approved a temporary suspension of principal and interest payments for loans from 2024 and 2025, applicable during the facility's 2026 ramp-up period. This financial arrangement is designed to provide the liquidity required to advance the project to full operational capacity, pending the finalisation of formal documentation.

Jean-François Labbé, Interim CEO, Ecolomondo Corporation, said “We have been working steadily in Hawkesbury, hiring, training, increasing production, increasing sales and, most of all, improving efficiency. This additional financing from EDC is greatly appreciated and should allow the Hawkesbury TDP facility to achieve its full potential.”

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Cabot Corporation said it has received improved environmental ratings from CDP, reflecting continued progress in water management and steady performance on climate disclosures.

In CDP’s 2025 assessment, the company was awarded an A- rating for Water Security, up from a B in 2024, and a B rating for Climate Change, unchanged from the previous year. Cabot said the water score exceeded both global and industry averages, recognising its approach to managing water-related risks and implementing sustainable water practices.

The Climate Change rating remained stable year on year, with improvements reported in areas including climate risk disclosure, value chain engagement and industry collaboration.

The latest scores extend a five-year pattern of incremental improvement, achieved amid more demanding reporting standards and rising expectations from regulators, investors and customers.

“We are proud that CDP’s independent assessment reflects our ongoing efforts to enhance environmental performance and transparency,” said Jennifer Chittick, senior vice-president for Safety, Health and Environment and chief sustainability officer. “The improvement in our Water Security score demonstrates our leadership in this critical area, and we remain committed to advancing our sustainability strategy across all domains. This progress was made possible by our dedicated, global team, and we remain focused on driving further improvements in the years ahead.”

CDP assesses companies on environmental impact across climate change, water security and deforestation, using a scale from D for Disclosure to A for Leadership. In 2025, more than 24,800 companies were rated, representing about two-thirds of global market capitalisation.

Cabot said the results underline its focus on transparency and responsible environmental management as it continues to execute its sustainability strategy.

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A USD 1.4 million equipment enhancement at Liberty Tire Recycling’s Cameron, North Carolina, facility is set to significantly boost its processing capabilities. This upgrade, enabled by the state’s sustainable financial backing of its scrap tyre programme, will allow the facility to handle an extra 3,300 tonnes of material annually, representing nearly 300,000 passenger tyres.

A key improvement is the increased capacity to process truck tyres, which are more challenging to recycle due to their size and durable steel components. The resulting crumb rubber, highly sought after by manufacturers, will be directed towards producing floor mat bases and rubber tiles made entirely from recycled material. This material also serves as a component for athletic tracks, synthetic turf, rubberised asphalt and various moulded products.

This capital investment follows North Carolina’s legislative action to redirect tyre disposal fees into the state’s scrap tyre management system, a move that includes compensating counties for collection and recycling expenses. With North Carolina establishing itself as a centre for tyre recycling, Liberty Tire indicates it is evaluating further multi-million-dollar investments and job creation across its other operations in the state.

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