Closing the loop: turning old tires into new car parts

In an ambitious move towards sustainability, Covestro, Neste, and Borealis have joined forces to revolutionize the recycling of discarded tires into high-quality automotive parts. This collaboration marks a significant step in driving circularity within the plastics and automotive industries.

Covestro, Neste, and Borealis have signed a project agreement to recycle end-of-life tires into high-quality plastics for automotive applications. This partnership leverages the unique strengths of each company to promote circular economy practices in the automotive industry, aiming to transform waste into valuable resources and reduce environmental impact.

The collaboration employs an advanced chemical recycling process to liquefy discarded tires. Neste converts these liquefied tires into high-quality raw materials suitable for polymers and chemical manufacturing. Borealis then processes these raw materials into base chemicals, such as phenol and acetone, which are subsequently used by Covestro to produce high-purity polycarbonates. This process ensures the recycled content is traceable through the mass balancing approach, certified by ISCC Plus.

"We are demonstrating the importance of value chain cooperation to give new value to waste," said Thomas Van De Velde, Senior Vice President of Base Chemicals at Borealis.

The high-purity polycarbonates produced can be used in various automotive applications, including parts of headlamps, radiator grills, and potentially polyurethanes for car interiors. The first products from this collaboration are already available, showcasing the practical viability of this recycling initiative.

"This project can serve as a blueprint when it comes to establishing circularity in the field of plastics in cars," stated Jeroen Verhoeven, Vice President of Value Chain Development for Polymers and Chemicals at Neste.

The companies emphasize that the potential to scale these developments should influence ambitious targets for future EU regulations, such as the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation. This initiative highlights how low-quality waste materials can be transformed into high-quality products, supporting both the automotive and polymer industries.

“Circularity requires cooperation, and this cooperation with our partners Neste and Borealis is testament to the possibilities at our disposal,” says Guido Naberfeld, Senior Vice President, Head of Sales and Market Development Mobility at Covestro. “We are creating options to turn old tires into new car parts again. With that, we are supporting our automotive customers and addressing an increasingly prominent question discussed across the value chain: How to match high-performance materials with recycled content? Projects like this can be the answer.”

This collaboration is a testament to the potential of partnerships in driving sustainability and circular economy practices. The innovative approach demonstrated by Covestro, Neste, and Borealis not only addresses the pressing issue of tire waste but also sets a precedent for future recycling projects within the automotive sector.