Valebridge Media Services (VMS), the organisers of the 2023 Recircle Awards, has revealed the final four award categories for the 2023 edition. This year these four categories will be judged by the 14-strong Nominations Committee, which consists of independent industry experts, primarily industry journalists and trade association professionals. 

The four new categories and their respective nominees are as follows:

Business Breakthrough Award:

Now in its third year, the Business Breakthrough Award aims to recognise a significant impact in terms of new market entry or growth by a company active within the tyre retreading or recycling sector. The nominees are:

-Black Star

-Contec

-Italmatic

-Pyrum

-Tyromer

Spirit of Retreading Award: 

This award is now in its third year and was conceived to recognise the contribution made to the industry by small, medium-sized or regionally focused tyre retreading companies. The nominees are:

-Medina Med

-Power Retreads

-Recapagens Budini

-Tyresoles

-Yashina

Industry Achievement Award for the Tyre Retreading Sector:

The Industry Achievement Award was introduced last year. As an exceptionally flexible category, this year, it has been decided to offer two awards recognising historical and technological achievements in the retreading and tyre recycling industries, respectively. The nominees in the retreading category are:

-B&J Rocket – for its historically revolutionising the buffing process with the introduction of the B&J Rasp System

-Lukatec – for its contribution to the development of robotic buffing technology

-Matteuzzi – for its development of the world’s first computerised buffer RAS 90 DC

-Presti Industries – for its historical development of the seamless retread envelope

-VMI – for its development of cushion to casing smearing technology

Industry Achievement Award for the Tyre Recycling Sector:

For the tyre recycling sector, the nominees are as follows:

-CM Shredders - for developing the Liberator, one of the best sets of equipment for removing wire from tyres

-Eldan – for building some of the biggest and most reliable tyre-shredding equipment 

-Regom – for its current development work in tyre identification machinery

-Rubberjet Valley – for its development of water jetting technology in tyre recycling

-Scandinavian Enviro Systems – for its pioneering work in the tyre pyrolysis sector 

David Wilson, Managing Director of Valebridge Media Services, commented, “We are delighted to be able to announce our final four award categories for the 2023 Recircle Awards. As always, our aim is to be able to offer an inclusive experience for the whole of the tyre retreading and recycling industry, to encourage engagement in the awards process, and to provide a balanced selection of awards that recognise excellence across the whole of the industry.”

VMS has also confirmed that the voting process is now open for all 15 of the Recircle Awards categories, subject to the public vote. Members of the public can vote for their preferred nominees by casting their vote via the Recircle Awards website at https://recircleawards.com/categories-2023/. Voting is restricted to one vote per person per award category.

The voting process will close at the end of September 8, 20223, and the winners of the Recircle Awards will be announced on November 16, 2023. 

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Zeon has been recognised as a Supplier Engagement Leader in the 2025 Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA) conducted by CDP, a United Kingdom-based international environmental nonprofit organisation. This achievement represents the first time the company has received the highest possible rating in this assessment.

The evaluation measures how corporations address climate change within their supply chains, focusing on responses to the CDP Climate Change Questionnaire across five critical areas. These include governance, emissions targets, Scope 3 emissions management, risk management and overall supplier engagement strategies.

Zeon earned the top rating for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through supplier collaboration, a group-wide initiative, alongside continuous dialogue maintained via procurement activities. Guided by its philosophy of contributing to planetary preservation and human prosperity, Zeon remains committed to sustainable management. The company reaffirmed that it will continue working with suppliers and other stakeholders to tackle climate change and meet societal expectations.

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German chemical group WACKER has announced a price increase of up to 15 percent for its resins, dispersions and dispersible polymer powders produced at its European and US facilities. The adjustment takes effect on 1 June 2026, or as existing customer contracts permit. The move is designed to allow the company’s Polymers division to maintain high product quality, deliver technological innovations and provide superior customer service and technical support. It will also support investments aimed at securing future growth in key markets.

Rising costs for raw materials and logistics have forced the pricing measure, with the Polymers division being particularly affected. The recent conflict in the Middle East has caused significant disruptions across global commodity markets. As a direct result, prices for energy, raw materials and transportation have climbed sharply.

Despite the increase, WACKER remains focused on sustaining its commitment to customer support and long-term capability. The company underscored that the adjustment is necessary to continue meeting market demands while ensuring operational stability and future-oriented development across its focus markets.

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Pirelli North America has launched its first closed-loop circular recycling initiative, marking a significant step in the company’s broader strategy to increase recycled and bio‑based content in its tyre production. The project has received the Tire Recycling Foundation’s Value Chain Collaboration Award.

The programme recovers scrap tyres generated during Pirelli’s own North American manufacturing process. These materials are sent to Bolder Industries, which applies ISCC PLUS‑certified pyrolysis technology to produce BolderBlack recovered carbon black. Pirelli then reintroduces this material into new tyre production at its North American facilities, partially replacing virgin carbon black. The effort is part of a wider Pirelli plan to expand such industrial ecosystems across the group’s production network, aiming to valorise waste by reintegrating recovered materials into tyre manufacturing.

Beyond the award, the initiative reflects Pirelli’s broader circularity approach, which includes ongoing work to boost recycled and bio‑based material usage. The company targets over 80 percent bio‑based and recycled content in its best‑performing products and forty percent in total production by 2030.

Claudio Zanardo, CEO, Pirelli North America, said, "The Rome plant is one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities in Pirelli. This initiative reflects an approach focused on increasing the use of recovered materials within existing production processes. It is part of a broader effort to gradually integrate raw materials derived from recycled resources into our products while maintaining consistency in performance and quality."

Tony Wibbeler, CEO, Bolder Industries, said, "Our collaboration demonstrates that a traceable, mass-balance approach to tyre-to-tyre circularity is not only achievable, but it's ready to scale inside a premium manufacturing environment, meeting real performance and certification requirements at every step. This is the kind of progress the industry has been working toward for many years."

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Sun Auto Network has expanded its national footprint by acquiring Quality Tire & Auto in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The transaction officially closed on 11 May, adding the store to the company’s growing portfolio. This acquisition represents Sun Auto’s third location in the state, reinforcing its regional presence along key transportation arteries in Middle Tennessee.

The Murfreesboro acquisition is part of a broader expansion strategy that has added more than 40 new locations this year through both purchases and new builds. Joining the network provides the shop with enhanced operational support, connected technology and customer-focused service tools. These resources are designed to strengthen the in-store customer experience and support long-term market growth across the Southeast.

The Murfreesboro location delivers complete automotive repair and tyre services, featuring leading tyre brands with a price match guarantee. Additional services include alignments, brakes, oil changes, batteries, diagnostics and preventative maintenance. This addition further improves the network’s connectivity throughout the region.

Rob Kingery, Regional Vice President Operations, said, "Tennessee continues to be an important growth market for our network. Adding Quality Tire & Auto allows us to expand Sun Auto's reach while continuing to deliver the trusted service and customer experience drivers expect."

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