Page 44 - The Tyreman N53 2022-02
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rubber industry could potentially have a negative impact upon NR sales and production – something that the rub- allow to happen in an uncontrolled fashion. Regardless of the potential of recyclates in new tyre manufacturing, the sustainability of rubber plantations is key to the future of the rubber industry.
Indonesia and Malaysia
It would appear that the primary tyre recycling process in both nations is pyrolysis. Pyrolysis operations regularly come up in the news for breaching environmental stand- ards or simply disposing of waste.
In fact, Tyre and Rubber Recycling often incurs criticism from European pyrolysis developers for reporting on py- rolysis-based pollution in India and SE Asia.
The focus is on recovering the Tyre Pyrolysis Oil (TPO), which could be used for heating and even as vehicle fuel – though there are doubts that the fuel created would pass muster in Europe or the USA. The pyrolysis char is often and used for domestic fuel – again, not something that would pass muster in Europe or the USA.
tyre recycling sector in Southeast Asia – in Europe, the recycling of tyres is heavily regulated; permits are needed and processes need approval. Emissions standards are very high – it is possible to stand next to a European tyre pyrolysis plant and smell no emissions at all (that is not to say there are not some).
The economic and legislative will to responsibly manage end of life tyres and rubber recycling is not yet present in much of SE Asia – and until that situation changes, tyre re- cycling would be an inferior relation to the rubber industry.
Ewan Scott, Editor, Tyre and Rubber Recycling
44 the tyreman 2022/2
