North Rhine-Westphalia has presented its first circular economy strategy – and is paying particular attention to used tires. This sends an important signal to the industry: a functioning circular economy for tires begins with proper collection and sorting and leads through reuse and retreading to high-quality material recycling.
With this strategy, North Rhine-Westphalia aims to accelerate the transition from linear value chains to a circular economy and further develop the state as a leading location for circular economy practices in Europe. Used tires are explicitly considered as a significant material flow in this context.
The state government points, among other things, to the recovery and use of steel and tire rubber as secondary raw materials, as well as the importance of retreading. At the same time, circular approaches to the reuse and recycling of used tires are to be further strengthened. The strategy also considers public procurement and the vehicle fleets of public companies.
For ZARE, this political attention is an important signal. Large quantities of used tires are generated in Germany every year. It is crucial that these are reliably routed to controlled and high-quality recycling processes. Certified used tire disposal companies play a central role in this: They collect and sort the tires professionally and ensure that they are sent to the most suitable recycling channel according to their condition.
Not every used tire is automatically waste. Suitable tires can be reused or retreaded. If further use is not possible, valuable materials can be recovered through mechanical and chemical recycling processes and reused as secondary raw materials.
It is therefore particularly welcome that the North Rhine-Westphalia strategy does not focus solely on recycling, but also considers various ways to maximize the use of tires and their raw materials. The state government also announces its intention to support retreading projects and processes for the further recycling of used tires.
For ZARE, the circular economy strategy demonstrates that used tires are increasingly being recognized for what they are: a significant raw material stream with great potential for the circular economy. To fully realize this potential, transparent disposal pathways, qualified companies, and consistent high-quality recycling are needed.
The certified ZARE partners stand for exactly this: professionally collecting used tires, sorting them responsibly and returning them to the cycle where their raw materials can be reused in the best possible way.
Source: Circular Economy Strategy for North Rhine-Westphalia, Chapter 4.6.5 “Used Tires”, p. 69
