Michelin ties up with Enviro for tyre rubber recycling

Team OD | Updated: April 15, 2020, 11:00 PM IST

With one billion tyres consumed annually, tyre recycling is a big industry in itself contributing to the greener goals of sustainability. Michelin, one of the world's leading tyre manufacturers, has tied up with Enviro, a Swedish start-up, to industrialise their proprietary technology of rubber recycling.

Founded in 2001, Enviro has developed a technology that treats rubber compounds with heat that allows extraction of chemicals and materials that include carbon black, pyrolysis oils and gas amongst others. These materials can be used as raw material for tyre manufacturing along with other industries.

Michelin has invested in Enviro to buy a 20 per cent stake, making it the largest shareholder. Michelin will help Enviro to scale up the process for industrial applications and build infrastructure to recycle tyres that are now largely considered as waste.

The partnership we have just signed with Enviro fits perfectly with Michelin's "All Sustainable" vision, said Sonia Artinian-Fredou, Services and Solutions, High Technology Materials Business Director. After the acquisition of Lehigh Technologies in 2017, a specialist in high-tech micro-powders derived from recycled tyres, this is further proof of Michelin's long-term commitment to recycling and sustainable mobility.