Australian innovator cracks tyre recycling conundrum

Tyre fire
Credit: http://www.express.co.uk/

World tyre production is expected to reach 3.3 billion units this year¹. A few years down the track, this becomes a major environmental problem:

● when dumped, including burial, leaching will release zinc, chromium, lead, copper, cadmium & sulphur²
● fire hazard — a tyre fire is difficult to extinguish & may burn for years³
● burning tyres release, “dark, thick smoke that contains carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, & products of butadiene & styrene”⁴

Green Distillation Technologies, an unlisted public company in Australia, has developed a process which converts tyres back into the carbon, oil & steel used in their manufacture. No mention of the other chemicals used in manufacture in the article linked below, although the article specifically claims, “without producing emissions”.

http://www.brw.com.au/p/entrepreneurs/aussie_innovator_cracks_tyre_recycling_COyG96PgOrPR0gyVsNCzQL?eid=cpc:nnn-14omn2225-optim-nnn:outbrain-outbrain_paid-dom-displayad-nnn-brw-nnn&campaign_code=15caf011&promote_channel=sem&utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=paid%20outbrain
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¹ “Global Demand For Tires To Reach 3.3 Billion Units In 2015”, http://www.rubberworld.com/RWmarket_report.asp?id=750

² “Dumped on”, http://www.theguardian.com/society/2002/may/15/environment.waste

³ “The Hugest Tire Fires in History”, http://thmirror.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/the-hugest-tire-fires-in-history.html

⁴ “Tire fire”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_fire / Australian company world-first method recycling tyres raise capital overseas local investors green technology current political climate Green Distillation Technologies open its first plant central NSW committed building second plant regional Tasmania GDT unlisted public company commercialise innovation converts tyres carbon oil steel Australia produces 24 million end-of-life tyres every year burnt buried dumped GDT chief executive Craig Dunn recycle tyres small percentage crumbled synthetic grass dealing with tyres landfill exported brick or cement kilns burnt raw tyres emit toxic fumes burned huge stockpiles environmental disaster caught fire land planning permissions build recycling plant Stawell funding constructing recycling plant Longford, Tasmania stockpile tyres provide employment plant Warren NSW capacity recycle pilot projects commercially capable plant testing secure investment test facility recycling process converts tyres 40 per cent carbon 35 per cent oil 15 per cent steel by weight sell final products steel sell oil carbon Denis Randall Carbon Black Investments raised $14 million private equity sources recycling plants build tyre recycling plants USA sovereign risk green sector renewable energy funds carbon footprint renewable energy trade penalty Clean Energy Finance Commission Australian Renewable Energy Agency tyre recycling CEFC investment mandate financing projects environmental benefit /