Peter Taylor OBE, tyre industry veteran with vast experience in new tyre and recycling markets around the world, is a former Director of the International Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ITMA Europe), Secretary General of the UK Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) and Vice President of the European Tyre Recycling Association (ETRA). Taylor, a prolific writer on industry matters, spoke to Tyre Trends on TRA’s role in sustainability drive.

Please elaborate on TRA’s (Tyre Recovery Association, UK) operations in the recovery process and further handling of recovered tyres

The TRA is a UK industry-wide association of ELT collectors and recyclers founded almost two decades ago when it has to be said interest in tyre recycling and its potential was a great deal less than it is today.

The ‘driver’ behind the push to beneficially recycle much more of our waste was undoubtedly the EU Landfill Directive which required that by 2006 almost all of our end-of-life tyres both here, in the UK and across Europe be appropriately reused or recycled. Here in the UK, we have largely met this requirement though like other countries, sometimes imperfectly.

The underlying concept behind the Landfill Directive was the notion of Producer Responsibility. This, however, was never clearly defined. In many countries the ‘producer’ was rather imperfectly defined as the ‘manufacturer’ of the product whereas elsewhere such as here in the UK, our government opted for the concept of shared PR, thus placing an onus on everyone in the recovery chain from manufacturer and importer through distributor and retailer to consumers, collectors and recyclers. This broader UK approach helped us build on our existing infrastructure and evolve a wider market-based approach to tyre recycling. That said, no ELT recovery programme is wholly effective in eliminating bad practices but we believe that a more effective monitoring pinch point in the recovery chain is not where our new tyres are first introduced into a market, but where they are ultimately removed from a wheel, i.e., the ‘pull’ rather than the ‘push’ approach. Almost from the outset we, as an association, set out to build a credible best practice approach to ELT recycling which would have broad industry support, we named this the TRA Responsible Recycler Scheme (RRS). All full TRA members subscribe to this and are required to be regularly audited for compliance and today, I am pleased to say that some three-quarters of all UK ELT’s are responsibly handled by our members supported by most retailers and manufacturers. As a purely voluntary approach to recycling, we are proud of this, in purely tonnage terms alone, we are the largest single recovery initiative almost anywhere in the world.

So, what now? ELT recovery markets everywhere are in flux as new markets for ELT-derived materials evolve as we exit the very undesirable trade in baled-tyre exports which undermined market stability here in Europe and well beyond.

In moving forward our challenge and great opportunity will be to better valorise ELT-derived materials by better exploiting their great intrinsic worth. As important a concept producer responsibility is, we should avoid being totally captivated by it at the cost of ignoring the simple principles of the waste hierarchy.

Our old tyres are more than a convenient fuel but potentially full of market opportunity for the very many other products derived from processes such as granulation and for very significant emerging technologies like pyrolysis and its by-products. This must be our direction of travel.

How much of a competitive edge you have in the market, compared with other recyclers?

We are of course an industry association and not an individual business but our propositions, and those of our members are simple, they are:

Best Practice – Legal Compliance – Customer Confidence

Here in the UK the concept of ‘Duty of Care’ is underpinned in law and potentially applies to every player in the recovery chain which is one more reason we enjoy such a large measure of cross-industry support.

Your view on how huge is the potential of tyre recycling sector in future?

We believe that the potential for tyre recycling everywhere is exponential, we are simply at the foothills of the possible as just a glance back at the waste hierarchy pyramid demonstrates all too clearly. Countries only have to compare their own current performances against the valorisation objectives of the pyramid. However, getting there is not simple. To do so will require entrepreneurship, investment and market confidence, elements which some of the more rigid approaches to ELT recycling will struggle to engage with. Recycling is not an acronym for convenient ‘disposal’ but a journey into ever greater resource efficiency.

On the challenges you face, including whether you get any support from government environmental agencies

The way in which we handle our ELT arisings here in the UK is often dubbed the ‘free market’ approach but this is very misleading. A better description of our approach would be ‘market-based with strong regulatory underpinning’. Our environmental laws are strict though not always as business friendly as we would like them to be. Good regulation should not just be about managing compliance but of providing a basis for market stability and the best possible conditions for market growth. I hope we will slowly get there and one of our prime duties is to engage proactively with the government and other regulators to help them adapt to this mindset.

In all of this however, it is all too easy to point the finger of responsibility at those who rule us, some of the responsibility is ours too and it was with this in mind when we first launched our Responsible Recycler Scheme all those years ago now. We chose to lead, rather than wait to be led and to help mould our futures rather than be made the reluctant captives of often inappropriate official policies and initiatives. The choice was ours as much as it will be yours in India and in very many other parts of the world.

Apollo Tyres Ltd has secured a one-season shirt-sleeve sponsorship agreement with AS Monaco, one of French football's most successful clubs, to increase awareness for its premium Vredestein brand.

This partnership will leverage Ligue 1's ranking as the fifth most watched football league in the world to raise awareness of Vredestein's award-winning products among a large audience in France and abroad. On November 22, AS Monaco's home league game against Brest will have the new sleeve branding for the first time. The Vredestein brand will be heavily promoted at Stade Louis-II for the 2024–2025 season, including on player sleeves and LED screens around the field. Exclusive social media initiatives will further help make the brand prominent, reaching a large and interested audience.

Yves Pouliquen, Vice President – Commercial, Europe, Apollo Tyres, said, “This partnership is an exciting opportunity to strengthen Vredestein’s presence in one of our key markets. AS Monaco’s rich history and commitment to excellence mirror our focus on performance and innovation. We look forward to building a successful relationship with the club and celebrating its achievements this season.”

Thibaut Chatelard, Marketing and Revenue Director, AS Monaco, said: “We are delighted to welcome Apollo Tyres and its Vredestein brand to the family of AS Monaco partners. This collaboration makes sense in view of the values we share, such as the constant pursuit of performance and excellence. There’s no doubt that this new support will be precious for the rest of our season, which promises to be thrilling.”

Nexen Tire, a leading global tyre manufacturer, has launched the Nexen N´Blue S tyre, adding to its range of summer tyres and providing drivers with advanced safety, energy efficiency and superior driving stability in wet and dry conditions.

Developed using highly dispersed silica and equipped with an optimised structural design, the Nexen N´Blue S tyre provides reduced road noise and improved driving stability. The tyre features an innovative tread compound, formulated with hydrophilic fillers and microstructure-controlled polymers, and provides lower rolling resistance and exceptional dry and wet grip. The tyre also excelled in test results by demonstrating an 11 percent improvement in wet braking distance compared to its predecessor.

Apart from providing excellent performance, the Nexen  N´Blue S also scores high on the sustainability index. The tyre provides an eco-friendly solution for environmentally conscious drivers by minimising fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The Nexen N´Blue S summer tyre is available in 58 sizes, which makes it compatible with different types of vehicles.

Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd. is all set to expand its investment project in Binh Duong province of Vietnam, with the phase 3 of expansion commencing in early 2025. This was discussed at a recent meeting between Vo Van Minh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee (PPC), and Kim Hyun Ho, General Director of Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd.

The meeting was held on 13 November at the Administrative Centre of Binh Duong province, as per an official statement. Apart from the company’s investment till date and the planned investment for phase 3, the two also discussed about the challenges and obstacles regarding procedures and processes to have more land funds to expand the manufacturing plant, along with taking measures to tackle the obstacles. Kim Hyun Ho also conveyed to the PPC Chairman that Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd. belongs to South Korea's Kumho Tire Group and is currently ranked 10th in the car tyre manufacturing industry.

The company had invested in a tyre manufacturing plant in My Phuoc 3 Industrial Park in 2007 with a total initial investment of USD 308 million, which was supplemented by another USD 300 million in 2021. This extended the factory scale to six hectares and increased the production capacity to 12.5 million tyres annually. With the expansion in early 2025, the company will raise its total investment to USD 908 million and increase the factory's production capacity to 17 million tyres annually. The expanded capacity is expected to be operational by early 2026.

Yokohama-ATG, a leading manufacturer of all-terrain and off-the-road tyres, has expanded its Galaxy MFS 101 SDS range of forklift tyres with the launch of white, non-marking tyres.

The Galaxy MFS 101 SDS range consists of puncture-proof SDS tyres with extended wear limits designed for high-intensity working shifts and long durability. These are premium, solid rubber tyres developed for tough demands, a long service life and high driving comfort. The addition of white, non-marking tyres is specifically aimed at clean working environments.

Marked by a 3-stage construction process, the forklift tyres feature reduced heat build-up, effective shock absorption and minimised vibrations. The pattern design guarantees a smooth ride and good steerability thanks to its continuous centre lug and circumferential grooves. Furthermore, the flat walls and wide flat profile offer excellent stability when using a forklift for vertical stacking. The tyres are also equipped with anti-slip steel beads for improved rim fitment

In a case study on a CAT 2.5-tonne forklift that was used for handling heavy pallets on asphalt, the Galaxy MFS 101 SDS outshone the competitors with impressive performance. The tyre delivered an approximate 900 working hours before replacement against competitors’ 500 working hours.