Tyres Committee:

Energy recovery from ELTs is growing quickly

Latest figures from the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) indicate that a mere 5-6% of end-of-life tyres (ELTs) arising within the EU-27, Switzerland and Norway were destined for landfill in 2008.

However, energy recovery from ELTs is growing more quickly than material recovery from the same source, the BIR Tyres Committee meeting in Istanbul was informed by its Chairman Barend Ten Bruggencate of the Netherlands.

The statistics reveal that, in the same 29 countries, energy recovery accounted for 37% of 3.281m tonnes of ELTs arising in 2008 compared to 39% for materials recovery. One tonne of ELTs possesses the same calorific value as a tonne of coal, he explained to delegates.

Mr Ten Bruggencate also pointed out that the Basel Convention’s guideline on the environmentally sound management of used tyres is currently the focus of a revision which is being closely monitored by BIR.

Much of the meeting in Istanbul was devoted to an in-depth presentation from the Secretary General of Turkey’s ELT producer responsibility organisation Lasder which was formed only some three years ago. Bahadır Ünsal confirmed that the country’s first systematic collection of ELTs was undertaken by Lasder in mid-2009 and that around 21,000 tonnes have been amassed to date.

Ten of the country’s 48 cement factories are burning ELTs as an alternative fuel and consumption capacities in this sector are expected to rise by 100,000 tonnes or possibly more within the next four years, explained the guest speaker. At the same time, material derived from some 11 granulators in Turkey is being used in a wide variety of applications, including sports and play surfaces, speed bumps and even shoes.

Lasder has set itself the target of collecting 60% of the ELTs sold by its producer members in 2012 and 100% in 2013. The body is also aiming to boost the tyre reuse ratio in Turkey from possibly less than 1% at present to nearer 5% by 2012, according to Mr Ünsal.

ends