The Tire Industry Association (TIA) and the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) revealed the formation of the Tire Recycling Foundation, a collaborative initiative aimed at fostering sustainable and circular market solutions for end-of-life tires, during the 2024 OTR Tire Conference. John Sheerin, director of end-of-life tire programs at USTMA, joined Dick Gust, CEO of TIA, on stage to introduce this initiative.
Sheerin emphasized the foundation’s mission to expand sustainable and circular market solutions for scrap tires through research, development of innovative technologies, and enhanced collaboration across the tire value chain.
TIA says the formation of the Tire Recycling Foundation stems from “extensive industry consultations,” including a three-day listening session organized by the Tire Industry Project in 2021. The foundation’s board of directors, comprising representatives from tire manufacturers, distributors, retailers, collectors, recyclers, and tire-derived product producers, will convene for its inaugural meeting in March.
Central to the foundation’s goal is the ambition to achieve 100% recycling of end-of-life tires in sustainable markets. Through strategic partnerships, fundraising initiatives, and targeted interventions, Sheerin said the foundation aims to catalyze the transition toward a profitable and self-sustaining tire recycling ecosystem.