AZuR founder launches joint tire recycling project in Germany

Gummersbach, Germany – Five companies from Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia’s tire value chain have joined forces to establish a circular economy for end-of-life and used tires in the region.

The 24-month 'ReKuWi – Tire Recycling Economy NRW project', coordinated by CGW GmbH*, will bring together certified tire take-back, retreading, reprofiling, used-tire sales and recycling activities, said CGW 11 Aug.

The five participating companies include Gummi Berger Hans Berger GmbH; Reifen Gruppe Ruhr; Detection-X GmbH; Bear-Machines GmbH and Reifenhaus Caspar Wrede GmbH.

They bring together expertise in tire collection, distribution, automated inspection, tire-processing machinery and retreading/reprofiling.

According to CGW, one-fifth of scrap tires in North Rhine-Westphalia are estimated to end up in illegal disposal or export, despite many still containing usable mileage, raw materials and economic value.

Retreaded tires, professional retreading and used tires also face acceptance challenges among fleets and consumers, while sorting and quality assessment are still largely carried out manually, it added.

The project partners will combine their respective capabilities to develop "certified take-back system, modern technology for automated tire detection, sorting and testing, the retreading of commercial vehicle tires, the reprofiling of truck tires and the development of commercial distribution channels for used tires."

A joint information campaign and employee training will also be launched to increase the acceptance of circular economy within the industry.

“Together, we are making the circular economy for tires in NRW economically attractive – and at the same time securing sustainable jobs in the region,” said Peter Luedorf, spokesman for the project.

*CGW GmbH is a German full-service communication and consulting agency based in Willich that founded and manages the Allianz Zukunft Reifen (AZuR) network, which has been described as the ‘tire alliance of the future’, aimed at improving circular tire production in Europe.