Sweden’s Enviro to build tire recycling plant in China

Gothenburg, Sweden – Scandinavian Enviro Systems and Chinese state-owned Vanlead Group have signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a turnkey recycling plant in China, recycled carbon black (rCB) company Enviro has announced.

Construction of the new facility is set to start later this year in Guangdong in southern China, said a 30 March statement from the Swedish company. Details of the project, though, are still subject to further negotiations between the two companies.

Based in Guangzhou, Vanlead, according to Enviro, is the “largest” tire-making group in south China. Brands produced by the company include Wanli Tire and Diamond Tire.

According to Enviro, the facility will have the capacity to handle 30,000 tonnes of tires every year and will supply Vanlead’s various production units across China.

Vanlead wants to “use Enviro’s reclaimed carbon black material in its tire production on a massive scale,” explained Enviro CEO Thomas Sörensson. “A first plant is currently on the drawing board.”

“The plant will follow the basic design that we developed with [Swedish engineering group] ÅF and that is now ready,” Sörensson said.

“China is the world's largest market for tires, rubber, and carbon black. There is great awareness that raw materials are limited; and state-owned Vanlead is the first to exhibit this high level of ambition,” concluded Sörensson.