Klean Industries Inc announced that it has partnered with City Circle Group (CCG) to build a fully integrated, continuous tyre pyrolysis plant to recover carbon black and biofuel in Melbourne, Australia. Klean Industries provides technologies and solutions for resource recovery, waste recycling and the production of clean energy from waste. As for City Circle Group, it is a provider in demolition, decommissioning, remediation, excavation and recycling in Australia.

It is known that Australia has a waste problem with disposal fees that are continuing to rise. Klean further claims that end-of-life tyres and end-of-life plastics are piling up and being dumped in landfills all over the country. Through their partnership, Klean and CCG aim to solve this environmental crisis by putting their combined skillsets together to create meaningful change that will help Australia develop a low-carbon, circular economy while reinforcing the goal of zero waste to landfill. According to Klean, both parties see significant opportunities for creating hundreds of new and highly skilled cleantech jobs with enough project opportunities in Australia to invest billions of dollars into the Australian economy over the next decade.

Sharing his views on the partnership, Matt Skidmore, CEO, City Circle Group, said, “It is with great excitement that we announce this project and partnership with Klean Industries. The concept of waste-to-commodity recycling is something that fits within our vision to become a truly circular economy business that provides real and positive outcomes to our communities.”

Adding to this, Jesse Klinkhamer, CEO, Klean Industries, commented, “We are thrilled to be taking resource recovery to a whole new level in Australia. With CCG as our partner, we are going to define a new era in what it means to develop clean industries. Our industry partnerships speak to our credibility, and it is these relationships that support and enable our team to build world-class facilities that set the global standard in Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) but will also enhance Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to a level not seen before in Australia.”

Klean states that the two have been engaged in the final analysis of a Detailed Feasibility Study (DFS) to design and build a fully integrated tyre pyrolysis plant. The result thus far has illustrated a significant opportunity. As per Klean, the parties are now in the final phases of contract negotiations with feedstock providers and offtake parties for all the project output products which are being pre-sold. Klean claims that the parties plan to complete the DFS by the end of December 2022 and anticipate the project being financed before the end of the first quarter of 2023, with construction taking place in 2023 and operations starting in 2024.

A project site is already secured and planning permission and permitting are underway. According to Klean, the project is centrally located 45 kilometres northwest of Melbourne, Victoria. It has access to a highly skilled workforce. Given the ease of establishing and conducting business in Melbourne, Klean states that the decision to locate a tyre carbonisation facility is compelling and logical. This offers numerous short-term and long-term benefits to the area.

As per Klean, the Melbourne project includes Klean’s commercial scale, environmental-friendly scrap tyre carbonisation technology with a planned initial capacity of up to 120 metric tonnes per day (TPD). This is approximately 12,000 tyres per day and equates to approximately 40,000 metric tonnes per annum (TPA). Klean claims that the project is designed to convert the waste tyres into highly valuable recovered carbon black (rCB) and recovered fuel oil (rFO). This plant will be fully integrated with Klean’s proprietary tyre char upgrading technologies that enable the transformation of low-value tyre char into high-value carbon black replacements which can replace Virgin Carbon Black (vCB) by volumes of 10 percent up to 100 percent, depending on the specific application.

The CCG plant will also include recovered fuel oil upgrading technologies for the conversion of the recovered pyrolysis oil. The CCG facility will be ISO 9001, 14001 certified and all products will also be ISCC certified as circular raw materials, according to Klean. 

The resulting products from the Melbourne project will then re-enter the virgin raw material supply chain through the local marine fuel market, new tyre, rubber compounding and virgin carbon black manufacturing industries. Klean states that this enables these industries to create product circularity by re-integrating recovered resources back into the marketplace, enabling them to improve environmental performance and lower raw material product costs while also offsetting emissions associated with their respective industries.

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Doublestar Tire has cemented its regional ambitions with the HEADWAY tyre series launch in Phnom Penh, where Chen Gang, Chairman of Doublestar (Cambodia) Factory, joined Deng Ling, General Manager of the Overseas Development Department and Xie Tao, Asia-Pacific Regional Director, to court local dealers and distribution partners. The Cambodian manufacturing base emerged as the centrepiece of the strategy, offering logistical agility and cost advantages that the company believes will underpin sustained growth throughout Southeast Asia. Executives used the gathering to reaffirm their commitment to tailoring products specifically for the Kingdom's road environment.

Engineering innovation took precedence as Xie Tao presented the HH316 passenger tyre, whose grooved architecture enhances wet-braking performance amid Cambodia's heavy seasonal rains, while five-pitch sequencing curbs cabin noise for a smoother ride. His counterpart Deng Ling outlined the brand's localised production philosophy, emphasising rigorous heat-reduction measures that extend tread life – a critical factor in tropical climates. The HU906 sports variant, engineered to rival premium benchmarks, rounded out a portfolio designed for both everyday commuters and performance-driven motorists.

The event also underscored the strategic value of the local partner, a 30-year industry veteran with nationwide reach, which has already invested heavily in promotional campaigns to elevate HEADWAY's profile. Distribution teams expressed enthusiasm for the product pipeline, while Chen Gang acknowledged their indispensable role in navigating Cambodia's fragmented retail landscape.

By merging domestic production with targeted product development and a seasoned ally, Doublestar signalled its intent to transform HEADWAY into a dominant local franchise, earning tangible buy-in from attendees who witnessed the brand's technological and commercial pitch firsthand.

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KENDA Europe has completed the relocation of its Belgian operations from Arendonk to Turnhout, with the new facility becoming fully operational in March 2026. Constructed by the Bolckmans Group, the 8,000-square-metre centre occupies a strategically central location designed to enhance regional service efficiency while actively reducing CO₂ emissions. This site joins KENDA’s network of five other European locations that deliver fitting, distribution and sales support close to customers.

The Turnhout logistics hub features nearly 6,800 square metres of warehouse space alongside a 1,500-square-metre fitting area. Equipped with two semi-automatic assembly lines and eight fitting stations capable of handling tyres from 3 to 17 inches, the centre streamlines workflows to ensure consistent and reliable service delivery.

Sustainability was a core design principle beyond operational performance. Bolckmans utilised lower-carbon materials such as CEM III B concrete and XCarb steel, while glulam timber beams actively store carbon within the structure. Energy efficiency is achieved through advanced insulation, solar-control glazing, heat pumps and intelligent building management systems, complemented by rooftop solar panels and an on-site wind turbine that supply 100 percent renewable power. Rainwater harvesting and on-site infiltration systems further manage water resources.

With this new Turnhout base, KENDA reinforces its commitment to efficient operations and responsible practices, ensuring robust infrastructure to support customers both now and in the future.

Richard Todd, COO, KENDA Europe, said, “The move not only improves the way we work today but also gives us the flexibility to support our customers well into the future. Throughout the relocation, maintaining a high level of service was our priority, and I am pleased that the transition was completed smoothly.”

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Bridgestone Americas has unveiled the second cohort of its national adaptive sports grant initiative, channelling USD 200,000 through Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund to eight school districts and nonprofit organisations. This latest allocation, consisting of eight grants valued at USD 25,000 each, is set to enhance athletic opportunities for 1,439 students across 75 public schools.

Despite over seven million public school students receiving special education services, participation in school athletics remains markedly low due to a shortage of adaptive programme resources. Bridgestone’s financial commitment directly confronts this disparity by bolstering both nascent and established K–12 sports offerings.

Building upon an initial 2025 investment, this new funding brings the company’s total two-year contribution to USD 400,000. The current cycle features five returning recipients receiving renewed backing alongside three newly selected grantees, ensuring continuity and fresh expansion.

The awarded funds are earmarked for curriculum development, specialised equipment purchases, and coach training. Recipients for 2026 span multiple states, including organisations and school districts in Ohio, Georgia, Illinois, California, Florida, Indiana and New York.

Wade Munday, Director, Corporate Philanthropy and Social Impact, Bridgestone Americas, said, "Every student deserves the chance to experience the benefits of sports by building confidence, connections and lifelong skills that come from being part of a team. Through these grants, we’re helping schools create more opportunities for students of all abilities to play, compete and reach their full potential both on and off the field."

Coach Rod Harris of Peach County High School in Georgia, a first-time grant recipient through AAASP in 2025, said, “Adding adapted track and field has helped enhance and grow our overall track and field programme. Everyone learns from each other, and it creates a strong sense of camaraderie within the team. It’s incredibly impactful, and we want to continue growing the programme because it is truly inclusive.”

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Comerio Ercole maintained a busy international exhibition schedule throughout June 2026, following its successful participation at INDEX Geneva in May. The company showcased its latest innovations for the plastics and rubber sectors at PLAST 2026 in Milan. The tour progressed to São Paulo, Brazil, for Expobor & Pneushow 2026, Latin America’s most significant rubber and tyre industry fair. This event served as a platform to reinforce ties with established local clients, engage with potential partners and discuss future collaborations.

The firm also attended Saudi Plastics & Petrochem 2026 in Riyadh, a critical gathering for the Middle Eastern petrochemical market. The exhibition underscored rising regional interest in sophisticated processing technologies, consolidating Comerio Ercole’s footprint in an area investing heavily in industrial expansion.

The company hosted an official delegation from Svilajnac, Serbia, at its Busto Arsizio headquarters to bolster economic and industrial exchanges between the regions. Comerio Ercole presented its expertise in rubber and plastics machinery while fostering dialogue on innovation and future partnerships. The company thanked the Municipality of Busto Arsizio and participating organisations for facilitating the exchange.

The newly launched JET – Joint Embossing Technological Center, a venture with the Italian SIMEC Group, has attracted attention within the technical materials industry. The market outlook for the first half of 2026 remains positive, with sustained investments from tyre and rubber clients complemented by growing opportunities in plastics processing. With numerous global projects underway, Comerio Ercole acknowledged the trust placed in its engineering capabilities by customers and partners, whose collaboration remains central to its growth.

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