Page 25 - CTB N11 - 2015-03

A report by the Retread Manufacturers Association
The UK truck tyre retreading industry - A circular economy in practise
The concept of a circular economy aims to challenge the existing linear model of most economies, centring around ‘take-make- consume and dispose’. The circular economy model has three key aims:
• Preservinglimitednaturalresources • Minimisingenergyuse
efficient and environmental friendly tyres that meet the performance criteria expected from pan European fleets. RMA members also
invest in people and training. The City & Guilds programme has been a huge success story and is often adopted by international retreaders seeking a recognised qualification.
Through its membership in BIPAVER – the
• Designingwasteoutoftheeconomy
A circular economy does this by designing systems within the economy that keep use and re-use raw materials for as long as possible, eliminating waste of any kind.
The European Commission, who sees the Circular Economy as central to their resource efficiency agenda, is currently setting targets for member states towards implementing
Europeanfederationforthetyreretreading industry – and its participation in the EU project ReTyre, the RMA and its members demonstrate their continual dedication to promoting and upholding the environmental benefits of the retreading industry.
CHALLENGES TO THE RETREADING CIRCULAR ECONOMY
1. Attitudestowardsretreading
sustainable growth through zero-waste systems.
Retreading in the UK is an example of resource- efficiency within a market. It, like any other industry, has its challenges and threats but it exists and operates with the goal of minimising disposal of a reusable natural resource.
ABOUT RETREADING
While many stakeholders and interested parties accept the environmental significance of retreaded tyres, there is a perception among certain areas that a retreaded tyre is in some way inferior to a newly manufactured equivalent. The RMA works to change
this misconception by challenging public opinion with statistics; by promoting the high standards and procedures adhered to by all RMA members; by ensuring legislation and
Retreading is the process whereb
g
d worn tyres (casings) are re-engineered to
maximise the end user’s tyre investment. The integrity of the casing is verified throughout
the entire retread process and professional retreaders will use non-destructive equipment to ensure only the very best casings are utilized.
The retreading process follows this rough method:
by pre-sel
lect
ted
yg
regulation acknowledges the comparable
quality of retreaded tyres and incentivises their use; and by working on the ReTyre project, developing a tool to calculate tyre labels for retreaded truck tyres, comparable to the EU-approved new tyre labels.
2. Chineseimports
There has been a significant increase in imports of inexpensive new truck tyres manufactured in China & Russia. Some of the tyre casings originating from such markets are rejected by EU retreaders. The casing integrity does not always meet the high standards of EU professional retreaders therefore the circular, resource-efficient nature of tyre retreading
is at risk. The circular economy process for any market must begin with the initial design and manufacture of the products that will be re-used and recycled. If the materials and the processes are not eco-friendly, or reusable, the circular economy will already begin to fail. If tyre casings are not up to a certain standard, fewer and fewer used tyres will be able to be retreaded, reducing the capacity for retreaded tyres to reach a significant percentage of the truck tyre industry.
Recycling of unsuitable casings into other uses – playground surfaces, sports pitches etc
Collection of worn tyres at a retreading factory
Inspection of casings
Application of new tread and reintroduction to the marketplace
There are many different processing techniques, but all must comply with the legal requirements ofReg.ECE 108/109, whilstpromotingenergy