Preliminary Program-at-a-Glance

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.

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.

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 six 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.

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.

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.