Tratamiento de Neumáticos Usados (TNU) and Asociación Española de Neumáticos Reciclados (AER) are organising a retreading conference at Motortec: “The European Retreading Industry in Danger: A Call to Action.”
Benefits of Retreading
Throughout the years, retreading has been one of the best solutions for giving tyres a second life. It reduces resource consumption, minimises waste and offers an economic and sustainable alternative.
There are several benefits of retreading: it allows up to 80% of the original tyre to be reused; it saves 70% of energy and raw materials, reduces CO2 emissions by 69% and water consumption by 45%; it allows up between 30% and 50% of cost savings compared to a new tyre, while maintaining performance and safety.
The reliability and safety of retreading are well proven: it is a process used in commercial aviation, where a tyre can be retreaded seven times before its final retirement.
Retreading also supports thousands of jobs in local plants throughout Spain and Europe, contributing to the local economy. However, despite the benefits, the industry is facing a troubling paradox: it recycles, but it does not consume recycled products.
Why Does This Happen?
There are several factors causing this issue, including a lack of incentives and institutional support, unfair competition from low-cost imported tyres of questionable quality, lack of knowledge, insufficient legislation, etc.
Law 7/2022 in Spain, on waste and contaminated soil for a circular economy, establishes that the use of secondary raw materials should be promoted, while reuse and recycling should be prioritised over other waste management options. However, these measures have not yet become actual actions.
Spain’s Royal Decree 1619/2005, which regulates the end-of-life tyres management, promotes the principle of extended manufacturer responsibility and suggests the promotion of recycled materials in public procurement. Despite this, green public procurement still remains a minority.
TNU Conference at Motortec
The conference at Motortec is more than an event: it is a call to action. Some of its goals include: making environmental, economic and social value of retreading visible; demanding commitment from public administration through responsible purchasing policies; promoting retreading tyres for public fleets including city councils, regional governments, etc.; raising awareness among consumers and logistics operators; uniting the sector to defend the industry in its transition to sustainable mobility.
The TNU Conference will take place on Thursday, April 24, at 11:30 AM in Auditorio 5 at Motortec. You can register for free here. You can get your free Motortec pass using the AERINVIMT25 code here.
