The tyre industry is undergoing a significant transformation as manufacturers, governments and technology companies invest in more sustainable ways to design, manufacture, use and recover tyres. Around the world, new technologies are reducing dependence on virgin raw materials, increasing the use of renewable and recycled content, and improving how end-of-life tyres are returned to the supply chain. Many of these developments are being driven by ambitious environmental targets and changing consumer expectations.
This section follows the innovations shaping the future of the global tyre industry. From chemical recycling and tyre-to-tyre circularity to bio-based materials, recovered carbon black and lower-emission manufacturing, TreadTorque examines the technologies and sustainability initiatives that are changing how tyres are produced and managed throughout their lifecycle. We also explore the policies and regulatory frameworks emerging in Europe, North America and Asia that are helping accelerate this transition.
While many of these initiatives are being developed overseas, they are likely to influence the Australian market in the years ahead. By tracking global sustainability trends, manufacturer strategies and breakthrough technologies, TreadTorque provides Australian motorists, tyre retailers and industry professionals with independent coverage of the innovations most likely to shape the next generation of tyres.
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How Ontario’s Revised Tyre Regulations Helped Create an ELT Backlog
Ontario changed its tyre regulations in 2025, removing a separate collection target and introducing a new management requirement. Less than two years later, end-of-life tyres were accumulating across the province. We examine what happened and why the experience matters for tyre stewardship in Australia.
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Continental Concept Tyre Pushes Physically Recycled Material Content to 43%
Continental has developed a concept passenger tyre containing around 43 per cent recycled materials under the EU-funded ZEvRA project, demonstrating both the potential of circular tyre materials and the challenges involved in taking them to industrial scale.
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OTR Crumb Rubber Roads Must Pass the Test of Time
A Sunshine Coast trial has demonstrated that crumb rubber from large OTR tyres can be incorporated into local roads. Its life-cycle assessment shows that lower whole-of-life emissions will depend on the modified surfaces lasting long enough to overcome their generally higher upfront carbon cost.
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Australia’s Tyre Stewardship Challenge: Lessons from Sweden and Ecuador at THE TIRE COLOGNE
Australia’s tyre stewardship challenge increasingly begins after collection. Sweden and Ecuador show how producer participation, enforcement and downstream market development can influence where end-of-life tyres ultimately go.
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Connecticut Launches America’s First Producer-Led Tyre Stewardship Program. But Who Really Pays?
Connecticut has become the first US state to introduce a producer-led tyre stewardship program. We look beyond the legislation to examine who may end up really paying for tyre recycling and how the new rules may affect manufacturers, importers and retailers.
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Tyrewise Moves Beyond Start-Up Phase as New Zealand Focuses on Building Markets for Recycled Tyres
Tyrewise says New Zealand’s national tyre stewardship scheme is now becoming part of everyday industry operations, with its focus shifting from collection towards creating sustainable markets for recycled tyre materials and strengthening the country’s circular economy.
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Pirelli Moves Towards Closed-Loop Tyre Manufacturing in North America
Pirelli has launched its first closed-loop tyre recycling initiative, using recovered carbon black from manufacturing scrap to produce new tyres. Discover how its partnership with Bolder Industries is helping advance circular tyre manufacturing and why it represents a significant step forward for the global tyre industry.
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Bridgestone Taps into Tyre-to-Tyre Horizontal Recycling
Bridgestone is taking tyre recycling to the next level with its EVERTIRE initiative, developing technology that could turn end-of-life tyres back into new tyre materials and help accelerate the transition towards a more circular tyre economy.
What is tyre sustainability?
Tyre sustainability refers to the efforts made by manufacturers, recyclers and governments to reduce the environmental impact of tyres throughout their entire lifecycle. This includes sourcing renewable and recycled materials, improving manufacturing efficiency, extending tyre life, reducing emissions and ensuring tyres can be recovered and recycled at the end of their service life.
What is tyre circularity?
Tyre circularity is the process of keeping valuable materials in use for as long as possible by designing tyres that use renewable or recycled materials and recovering those materials at the end of the tyre’s life. The ultimate goal is tyre-to-tyre recycling, where materials from end-of-life tyres are used to manufacture new tyres, reducing reliance on virgin resources.
What is tyre-to-tyre recycling?
Tyre-to-tyre recycling is considered one of the most advanced forms of tyre recycling. Instead of using recycled rubber in lower-value products, materials recovered from end-of-life tyres are processed and refined so they can be used in the manufacture of new tyres. This supports a more circular economy by keeping valuable resources within the tyre industry.
What is chemical recycling?
Chemical recycling uses heat or chemical processes to break tyres down into their original components, including recovered carbon black, pyrolysis oil, steel and gas. These recovered materials can then be reused in manufacturing, helping reduce waste and the demand for virgin raw materials.
What role does recycling play in tyre sustainability?
Recycling is an important part of tyre sustainability, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. A truly sustainable tyre industry also focuses on designing tyres that last longer, use more renewable and recycled materials, reduce manufacturing emissions and support a circular economy where valuable resources remain in use for as long as possible.
