Pirelli North America has launched its first closed-loop tire recycling initiative as part of a strategy to increase the use of recycled and bio-based materials in its products.
The initiative focuses on recovering scrap tires generated during the manufacturing process in North America. The materials from these are collected and processed by Bolder Industries using pyrolysis technology to produce ISCC Plus-certified BolderBlack recovered carbon black (rCB), which Pirelli then reuses in the North American production of new tires.
The project is part of a broader Pirelli plan that will also involve additional facilities, with the objective of creating industrial ecosystems capable of valorizing waste by producing recovered materials to be reintegrated into tire manufacturing across the group’s production network. In this particular case, BolderBlack can partially replace virgin carbon black in production, contributing to a more efficient use of resources.
“The Rome [Georgia] plant is one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities in Pirelli,” said Claudio Zanardo, the CEO of Pirelli North America. “This initiative reflects an approach focused on increasing the use of recovered materials within existing production processes. It is part of a broader effort to gradually integrate raw materials derived from recycled resources into our products while maintaining consistency in performance and quality.”
The initiative has been recognized by the Tire Recycling Foundation with a Circle of Change Award in the Value Chain Collaboration category. “Our collaboration demonstrates that a traceable, mass-balance approach to tire-to-tire circularity is not only achievable, but it’s ready to scale inside a premium manufacturing environment, meeting real performance and certification requirements at every step,” added Bolder Industries CEO Tony Wibbeler. “This is the kind of progress the industry has been working toward for many years.”
In related news, Hankook returns to super-sport tire segment with Ventus evo Z
