Page 165 - CW E-Magazine (17-9-2024)

News from Abroad

RECYCLING COLLABORATION
Bridgestone, Grupo BB&G and Versalis to create

a closed loop ecosystem for tyres

Japanese tyre giant, Bridgestone’s
Belgium-based arm – Bridgestone
EMEA – along with Portugal’s waste
transformation specialist, Grupo
BB&G (BB&G), and Italy’s Versalis
(a subsidiary of oil major, Eni), have
signed an agreement aimed at establish-
ing a closed-loop ecosystem to trans-
form end-of-life tyres into new tyres.
The agreement will bring together the
innovation, experience and technologi-
cal skills of all three companies. The
partnership aims to develop a model for
the creation of a scalable and increas-
ingly sustainable supply chain.

Around one billion tyres reach the
end of their useful service life every year, missioned its first commercial scale tyre in the diversification of feedstock, with
according to the World Business Council pyrolysis production to validate the feasi- both renewable sources and secondary
for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)’s bility and quality outputs of the process. raw materials. Through this collabora-
Tyre Industry Project. Bridgestone, BB&G’s TPO unit is located in Fatima, tion and based on its own technological
BB&G and Versalis are seeking a solu- Portugal and has been running since 15 expertise for recycled materials, Versa-
tion that provides innovative and more July 2024. Over the next months, a first lis will integrate BB&G’s pyrolysis oil
environmentally responsible ways to amount of BB&G oil will be fed into into its own supply chain thus expand-
address increased sustainability in the Versalis’ plants to manufacture the cir- ing the Balance – ISCC PLUS certified –
synthetic rubber business, helping to cular elastomers that Bridgestone will product range.
maximise the complete lifecycle of a tyre. use to create a first batch of tyres in early
2025. The BB&G TPO commercial Bridgestone will transform these
End-of-life tyres (ELTs) will be plant will help improve the circular tyre elastomers into tyres with an enhanced
transformed, through pyrolysis, into tyre ecosystem and play a crucial role in percentage of rubber obtained from
pyrolysis oil (TPO) to create high-qua- facilitating global tyre circularity. secondary raw material. As part of the
lity elastomers comparable to those collaboration, all three companies will
obtained from traditional feedstock for Versalis has been developing circu- be working together to research and
the production of new tyres. The collabo- lar technologies and processes through realise the best technical solutions to
ration aims to boost the development of polymer recycling. This includes com- establish a successful ecosystem for
pyrolysis technology and TPO, as well plementary mechanical and chemical future recycling of end-of-life tyres on
as market scaling the polymers as a valu- recycling. The company is also engaged a large scale.
able circular resource for new tyres.
Kraton to increase HSBC product prices globally
The partnership will leverage Kraton Corporation, a US-based styrenic block copolymer) products
BB&G’s thermomechanical process of producer of speciality polymers and from October 1, 2024. “This action
pyrolysis to recycle ELTs on a commer- bio-based products derived from pine is driven by the continued increase
cial scale. BB&G has built and operat- wood pulping co-products, has an- in raw materials, process chemicals,
ed two generations of pilot plants in the nounced a general price increase of warehousing costs, and transportation
past 10 years and has also recently com- $220/tonne for all HSBC (hydrogenated costs,” the company said.

Chemical Weekly September 17, 2024 165

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