2023 Rubber Recycling Symposium Program
Event Program
DAY 1: POLICIES & PROGRAMS
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
7:30 – 8:45 am Delegate Registration & Breakfast
8:45 am: Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:00 am: EPR for Tires in Canada
In Canada, all 10 provinces and the Yukon Territory have programs in place to ensure the proper management of end-of-life tires. The programs all collect scrap tires and through recycling seek to transform these materials into marketable value-added products. However, there are a broad spectrum of policies at play, where producers must take varying degrees of responsibility, both physical and financial. Our panel including the Chair of TRAC’s ELT Committee, the Canadian Association of Tire Recycling Agencies (CATRA) program manager, and representatives from several of the provinces representing IPR, EPR and government led programs who will provide insights including challenges and opportunities.
Speakers:
Barry Takallou, President & CEO, CRM
Bob Ferguson, Program Manager, Canadian Association of Tire Recycling Agencies (CATRA)
Steve Meldrum, CEO, eTracks Tire Management Systems
Louis Gagne, Research & Planning Officer, RECYC-QUÉBEC
Frank LeBlanc, CEO, Recycle NB
10:30 am: Refreshment & Networking Break
11:00 am: Global EPR Programs for Tires
With the Canadian landscape fresh in our minds, we turn our attention to EPR programs for tires around the world. Representatives from programs in Australia, India, Sweden, and Italy have been invited to attend and provide highlights of their respective programs, including how they began and how they have evolved over time.
Speakers:
John Sheerin, Director ELT Programs, U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association
Fredrik Ardefors, CEO, SDAB (Swedish Tire Recycling Organization)
Lina Goodman, CEO, Tyre Stewardship Australia
12:00 pm: Lunch & Networking Break
Dr. Larisa Kryachkova, Executive Director, the Tire Industry Project (TIP) of the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (virtual)
1:30 pm: Legislative Session – Bills & Bans
In December 2020, a seminal study by Tian et al proposed that a ubiquitous tire rubber–derived chemical (6PPD-quinone, an oxidation product of an additive intended to prevent damage to tire rubber from ozone) induced acute mortality in coho salmon in the pacific northwest. This prompted the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to propose a new regulation that requires companies manufacturing motor vehicle tires for sale in that state to evaluate safer alternatives to 6PPD. Hear how the DTSC and USTMA are working towards a viable solution for the environment and consumer safety. Last September, the European Commission proposed a complete ban on synthetic infill in sports pitches, with a transition period of eight years to allow users to switch to less harmful alternatives. Hear from the European Tire Manufacturers Association (ETRMA), on the latest from the EU on this proposed ban and consequences for the industry worldwide.
Speakers:
Jamie McNutt, Director, Regulatory Science, U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association
Alex Van Gelderen, Manager, ELT and Circularity, European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers Association
3:00 pm: Refreshment & Networking Break
3:30 pm: Scrap Tire Lifecycle Assessment (LCA)
People expect that products made from recycled tires will deliver ecological benefits when compared to the use of (new) materials they displace. Putting numbers to this expectation was at the heart of the “Scrap Tire Life Cycle Assessment (LCA),” a study that involved the elective participation of seven members of CATRA. The study included collection and analysis of participating tire recycling agencies using data spanning 2017 – 2020, and in spring 2022, participants received their individual LCA report. A study overview and results will be presented.
Speakers:
Brandon Kuczenski, Principal at Scope 3 Consulting (virtual)
4:00 pm: Closing Remarks
5:00 pm: Networking Reception
DAY 2: MANUFACTURERS, MARKETS & MAVENS
Thursday, October 5, 2023
7:00 – 8:15 am: Breakfast
8:30 am: Driving Sustainability in Tire Manufacturing
The challenge to achieving tire production with an ever-decreasing environmental footprint is key to sustainability efforts. The global tire manufacturing industry continues to implement new approaches and technologies to achieve economic, environment and social KPIs. Representatives from some of the world’s leading tire manufacturers will share ideas and challenges in delivering on their sustainability objectives.
Speakers:
Maureen Kline, Vice President, Public Affairs & Sustainability, Pirelli Tire North America
Derek Bradeen, Global Business Model Leader - Retreading & Recycling, Michelin North America (Canada) Inc.
Jay Spears, Director of Standards and Regulations, Continental Tire the Americas, LLC
Nick Santero, Leading Sustainability Science, Rivian
10:00 am: Refreshment & Networking Break
10:30 am: Market Development Opportunities for ELT
Markets for scrap tires present different degrees of opportunity for supporting the circular economy. End-of life-tires gain a second life in the form of Rubber Modified Asphalt (RMA), Tire Derived Aggregate (TDA), Tire-Derived Products (TDP) and Tire Derived Fuel (TDF). Hear from our panel of experts on market size, performance, economics, and sustainability, amongst others, of these second life products. Emerging technologies of pyrolysis and de-vulcanization will also be covered here.
Speakers:
John Sheerin, Director End-of-life Tire Programs, U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association
Dr. Redmond Clark, CBL Industrial Services
Peter Schroedter, Principal, Off the Road Recycling
Paul Downey, CEO, Pliteq
Rob Cumming, Head, Sustainability & Public Affairs at Lafarge Canada Inc.
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Lunch & Networking Break
1:30 pm CEO Panel
Back by popular demand, our closing session features a panel of CEOs who will offer their unique perspectives on tire recycling markets, opportunities and challenges faced, and removing obstacles hampering their ability to innovate, prosper, and be part of the CE solution.