Alcoa, Tyrecycle partner on conveyor belt recycling in Australia

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Alcoa Australia has stepped up recycling efforts through a partnership with tire recycling specialist Tyrecycle to process used conveyor belts.

In a 24 Sept statement, the US-based aluminium producer said it had delivered the first reels from its Western Australian mining operations to Tyrecycle’s East Rockingham facility for recycling.

Once processed, the steel wire used in the belts will be reclaimed and the rubber will be turned into crumb, suitable for a range of uses including as an additive for use in road construction, said Alcoa.

The programme builds on an off-the-road (OTR) tire recycling contract launched in 2024 and is part of Alcoa’s initiative to reduce, recycle and reuse waste from mining and refining.

According to Nicole King, Alcoa’s global programme manager for water and waste, about 32km of used conveyor belt will be delivered over the coming months.

This allows the mining major to recycle 80 reels of used conveyor belt in the initial programme with Tyrecycle, processing about 100 tonnes a week into crumb.

In addition to that, the two partners continue to process more than 300 tonnes of used OTR tires a year.

Tyrecycle head of trading, mining and strategic development Ashley Battilana said the company was focused on “circular recycling solutions” to convert used rubber into new products.

“Initially we’ll produce rubber crumb, like we do with tires, that can be repurposed into applications such as bitumen, sporting and playground surfaces, adhesives and moulded products,” he said.

Battilana added that Tyrecycle aimed to integrate recycled content into new conveyor belts in the future.

Since opening in May 2024, the East Rockingham facility has expanded to support Western Australian mining operators with tire and rubber recycling, Battilana added.