South Korea launches €30m tire recycling R&D programme

Seoul – South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has announced plans to invest KRW48 billion (€30 million) in developing technologies that enable higher-value recycling of end-of-life tires (ELTs) and increase the use of recovered carbon black (rCB) in new tire production.

The initiative forms part of a broader KRW73-billion national R&D programme, announced 2 July, to improve the circular use of waste tires and discarded clothing through 2030.

According to the ministry, more than 60% of waste tires generated in South Korea are currently recycled into thermal products such as solid recovered fuel, while only a small proportion is converted into rCB for use in new tires.

However, durability limitations currently make it difficult to incorporate more than 5% rCB into new tire compounds, it said.

Under the programme, the government will support the development of technologies to recover higher-quality rCB by pre-treating waste tires before pyrolysis.

Support will also go towards tire manufacturing technologies capable of using at least 15% rCB, said the government announcement.

The programme aims to establish "a circular utilisation system" for waste tires by producing higher-value recycled raw materials and commercialising products based on those materials.

According to the ministry, the project will also help prepare Korean manufacturers for the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).

Tires have been prioritised under the EU ecodesign legislation, which is due for adoption in the first half of 2027 and will be applied from the second half of 2028.

The Korean programme will run from 2026 to 2029 and will be managed by the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute on behalf of the ministry.