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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Liberty Tire Recycling has placed community engagement at the forefront of its operational philosophy, recently demonstrating this commitment through a collaborative literacy project in Calhoun, Georgia. The initiative, undertaken with Keep Calhoun-Gordon Beautiful, targeted local third-grade classrooms by combining educational support with environmental consciousness. Company volunteers actively participated by reading to students, fostering direct connections that underscored the importance of literacy while simultaneously promoting broader ecological values.

The sponsorship and hands-on efforts from Liberty Tire Recycling’s Calhoun site reflect a strategic approach to sustainability that extends beyond traditional waste management. General Manager Pam Boling observed the enthusiasm and fresh perspectives of the young participants, reinforcing the company’s belief in investing in youth as a pathway to long-term environmental progress. This educational focus is designed to empower future generations with the knowledge necessary to advance sustainable practices in their communities.

Beyond the literacy event, Liberty Tire Recycling maintains a robust partnership with Keep Calhoun-Gordon Beautiful that includes sponsorship of biannual recycling drives and tire amnesty programmes. These efforts are instrumental in diverting waste from landfills, enhancing recycling education and fortifying local sustainability infrastructure. The collaboration exemplifies how corporate entities can actively contribute to environmental stewardship through targeted, community-based actions.

Liberty Tire Recycling asserts that achieving meaningful sustainability goals requires active collaboration with local organisations and residents. By supporting grassroots environmental awareness, educational development and community trust, the company aims to inspire lasting change. Such initiatives illustrate a model where business and community interests align, working together to build a cleaner, more sustainable future through localised impact and shared responsibility.

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Apollo Tyres Ltd has reinforced its dedication to the historic vehicle segment by extending its partnership with the 1000 Miglia for the ninth year running, with its Vredestein premium brand serving as the event's Official Tyre Partner.

The 2026 edition of the renowned Italian endurance rally, celebrated as ‘La corsa più bella del mondo’ (the most beautiful race in the world), saw over 300 vintage automobiles traverse the legendary thousand-mile circuit between Brescia and Rome. The challenging route wound through picturesque towns and mountain passes, strictly adhering to eligibility rules that required participants to be models manufactured before 1957, mirroring the original competitions from 1927 to 1957.

Vredestein’s visual presence was prominently established across the rally's entire infrastructure, from the competitive stages to the paddock and hospitality zones, further cementing the brand's strong association with European classic motoring traditions. The competitive credentials of the brand were highlighted by former Formula 1 drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Robert Doornbos, who piloted a Siata and an Austin Healey respectively, both fitted with Vredestein Sprint Classic tyres.

This year’s event served as an ideal platform for the entire Vredestein Classic range, which successfully merges retro aesthetics with modern compound technology to ensure superior grip and safety. The comprehensive portfolio now includes the Sprint Classic, Snow Classic, Grip Classic and Transport Classic, each engineered specifically to meet the unique demands of vintage and classic automobiles.

Udyan Ghai, Head of Marketing, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “The 1000 Miglia remains one of the world’s most iconic celebrations of automotive heritage, and we were proud to return as Official Tyre Partner. The event reflects the spirit of the Vredestein brand, combining timeless design, engineering excellence and driving passion. Our Classic range is designed for enthusiasts who want authentic looks alongside modern levels of performance and safety, making the 1000 Miglia the ideal environment to showcase these tyres in action.”

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Hankook Tire, the exclusive electric racing tire supplier and official partner of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (Formula E), has launched a digital fan engagement initiative called ‘Make it Yours, Make it Race.’ The AI-powered helmet design campaign runs from June 8 to June 21, local time, during the brand’s final season as the series’ tire provider in Season 12. This marks a significant push into virtual fan experiences as the championship heads toward its concluding partnership year with Hankook.

The campaign represents a collaboration with Formula E and the DS PENSKE Formula E Team, utilizing Google Cloud’s infrastructure and advanced AI models, including Gemini, Nano Banana, and Veo. By moving activations beyond physical race venues, the tire manufacturer aims to offer global motorsport enthusiasts novel methods to interact with the racing ecosystem. The digital platform allows participants to craft personalized racing helmet designs, which are then submitted via Instagram with the dedicated hashtag #HKAIhelmet.

A public voting phase will determine the winner, with the final design officially announced on July 3 across Hankook’s social media channels. The victorious artwork will be prominently featured at the 2026 Hankook London E-Prix, where paper versions will be given to spectators and a full-scale replica will be exhibited at the Hankook Fan Village booth. The grand prize for the winning designer includes two Formula E VIP tickets, a driver-signed cap, a premium merchandise package, and a podium cap, with additional prizes for the runners-up.

This initiative is part of Hankook’s broader strategy throughout its four-season tenure with Formula E, which has included interactive Fan Village experiences showcasing the ‘iON’ electric vehicle tire lineup and the ‘iON Race’ tire. The company also supports the FIA Girls on Track program through lectures and workshops, reinforcing its commitment to nurturing future talent. These efforts collectively enhance brand visibility while deepening customer connections globally.

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Webfleet, Bridgestone’s advanced fleet management solution, has closed a strategic agreement with Volkswagen Group Info Services AG. The collaboration leverages OEM.connect, the company’s original-equipment telematics programme, to erase the need for physical device installations across Volkswagen Group brands. Operators running Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Škoda, Seat, Cupra or Audi models can now channel real-time machine data straight into the Webfleet ecosystem.

Once a compatible vehicle’s identification number is registered, the system activates full-service functionality in under an hour. This digital-first approach accelerates fleet onboarding while unlocking analytics that drive cost reduction, operational refinement and eco-friendly driving habits. Crucially, the interface does not discriminate by brand mix, granting unified oversight of diverse fleets through a single dashboard or companion application, regardless of whether units come from one marque or several manufacturers.

Among the practical tools now available to European customers are fuel-level surveillance, electric-battery tracking for range assurance, granular performance dashboards and early-warning mechanical alerts to curb unplanned stoppages. Every feature is accessible across the continent, giving mixed and single-brand fleets equal command over their daily logistics without legacy hardware barriers.

Jan-Maarten de Vries, President – Fleet Management Solutions, Bridgestone, said, “We always aim to make connecting vehicles to Webfleet as quick and easy as possible. Adding six Volkswagen Group brands to OEM.connect serves that goal perfectly. Fleet operators get immediate access to valuable data that helps them optimise their operations. This collaboration represents an important step in expanding our OEM.connect ecosystem, enabling fleets to adopt connected services faster and with less complexity.”

Lasse Schmidt van Hülst, Lead Sales & Key Account Management, Volkswagen Group Info Services AG, said, “Combining our vehicle data with Webfleet’s advanced fleet solutions supports the continued development of connected fleet services across Europe. By making vehicle data available through trusted partners, we are helping fleet operators improve performance while ensuring secure and compliant data use.”

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