Tyre-to-tyre recycling remains unusual even though Europe generates millions of tonnes of end-of-life tyres each year. Michelin’s Jean-Michel Douarre says the problem is not simply collecting the material: new tyres require raw materials of consistently high quality, so an effective circular system must connect sorting, processing and manufacturing.
The EU-funded BlackCycle project brought Michelin together with 12 partners from five countries to build and test that full value chain. Its core is pyrolysis, a thermal process carried out without oxygen, supported by tyre deconstruction, distillation and polymerisation. The work produced sustainable carbon black, plasticising resin and micronised rubber powder that were validated for use in tyres.
According to Douarre, the processes reached technology-readiness levels of 6 to 9 and produced several tonnes of qualified secondary materials. The project also examined economics, environmental performance, industrial safety, regulation and traceability. One commercial outcome is Infiniteria, a joint venture involving Antin, Enviro and Michelin that aims to develop European plants capable of processing at least one million tonnes of end-of-life tyres by 2030.
The difficult part is now scale. Recycled feedstocks must compete with established fossil-based supply chains, while tyre pyrolysis oil is also sought by the sustainable-fuels sector. Douarre argues that early regulatory and financial support will be important when circular alternatives cost more than virgin materials. Michelin nevertheless sees recovered carbon black and upgraded pyrolysis oils as important routes towards its long-term goal of replacing fossil inputs with renewable or recycled materials.
Source: Waste Management World
