The Chinese industry ministry is to step up efforts on the re-use/recycling of its waste rubber tyres to curb pollution and ensure “comprehensive utilisation” of resources. China has a mounting waste problem – transport ministry data figures at least 340 million cars have crossed Chinese roads within the first half of 2019, which have so far accumulated more than 300 million used and unrecycled tyres.
Following the establishment of the new rules by the ministry, the China Tire Recycling Association (CTRA) said an industrial chain worth some US$14.2 billion could be created if the country could recycle the 13 million tonnes of waste tyres produced every year.Previous nationwide recycling initiatives include the use of waste tyres as rubber asphalt on roads and fuel for cement kilns.
At present, China will scale up the tyre recycling business by encouraging the recycling of tyres into rubber powder,improve recycling technologies such as thermal cracking, and increase tyre retreading rates.