ETEL buying UK tire recycling major Murfitts

Letchworth, UK - European Tyre Enterprise Ltd (ETEL) has agreed the acquisition of Murfitts Group Ltd, parent group of UK tire recycling company Murfitts Industries, ETEL announced 20 Dec.

Murfitts operates a national network recycling the equivalent of around 20 million car tires per year, noted ETEL - owner of UK-wide tire distributor Stapleton’s Tyre Services and the Kwik Fit retail chain.

The recycler manufactures rubber granulate products by processing and repurposing post-consumer tires, which it collects from tire makers, wholesalers and retailers across the UK. 

Product is used in areas such as sports surfaces, pathways, playgrounds, carpet underlay and modified asphalt - and is exported globally.

Among its clients, Lakenheath, Suffolk-based Murfitts has been a long-term provider of post-consumer tire collection and recycling services to ETEL.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Murfitts and... our operations have been seamlessly connected, with joined up processes," said Sean Tanaka, CEO of Letchworth-baed ETEL.

"This acquisition makes clear strategic sense as we can bring the responsible collection, processing and re-manufacturing of tire material under our own roof," added Tanaka. 

According to ETEL, Murfitts has led the UK industry in developing audited and traceable systems to ensure tires are being processed responsibly and has investing in R&D to improve material recovery.

The latter activity includes developing proprietary pyrolysis technology to process tire feedstock into various recycled materials such as carbon black and recycled fuel oil. 

"With its UK-wide collection and processing infrastructure in place, Murfitts has the ability to supply the consistent feedstock necessary for commercial-scale pyrolysis," noted ETEL.  

"Bringing the company into the ETEL group will enable Murfitts to invest in accelerating the development of this process and scale up the operations," it added.

“This is the natural next step for our company," said Mark Murfitt, founder of Murfitts Industries, will remain with the company as managing director. 

"I wanted to partner with a company who fully understands the tyre industry and can really help continue to develop our operations, especially on scaling up the pyrolysis programme," commented Murfitt.  

At the other end of the process, ETEL owner Itochu Corp. launched an initiative on 1 Dec to ensure the sustainability of natural rubber production used in tire manufacturing. 

Under its parent group's initiative, called Project Tree, ETEL customers can buy specific tires which support this programme, the UK company pointed out.