The Role of Technology in Tyre Recycling in India
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India, the third-largest car market in the world, produces more than 275,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres every year. This increasing quantity of ELTs is both an environmental problem and a challenge for sustainable innovation. Traditionally, tyre disposal in India was controlled by unregulated burning, illegal dumping, or informal recycling practices—activities that are responsible for high levels of air and soil pollution. Yet, with increased environmental consciousness and regulation, the scene of tyre recycling is witnessing a technological revolution.
The Impelling Demand for Environmental Tyre Recycling
Tyres are not biodegradable. They consist of synthetic rubber, oils, steel, and other chemicals that have the potential to stay in landfills for centuries. If tyres are not disposed of in the right way, tyres can even act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which poses health hazards. Additionally, open tyre burning—a still common practice in informal sectors—emits poisonous gases like carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, and volatile organic compounds.
The necessity for effective, scalable, and eco-friendly recycling solutions is imperative. That is where technology comes into the picture.
Emerging Technologies Redefining Tyre Recycling
Pyrolysis Technology
Pyrolysis is among the most powerful developments in Indian tyre recycling. Pyrolysis is heating shredded tyres inside an oxygen-free chamber to degrade them into valuable by-products such as pyrolysis oil (utilized as a fuel), carbon black (employed in rubber and plastic production), steel wire, and combustible gas.
Pyrolysis is a closed process that releases few pollutants and is therefore a favored substitute for burning. With advances in reactor design, emissions control, and energy recovery, newer pyrolysis equipment is safer and more efficient than ever.
Devulcanization
Vulcanization is the process that endows rubber with its elasticity and durability, but also makes recycling challenging. Devulcanization reverses this and reverts rubber to a form where it can be recycled and remoulded.
Indian startups and research centers are now utilizing microwave, chemical, and ultrasonic devulcanization techniques to create high-quality reclaimed rubber. This reclaimed rubber can be utilized in the production of new tyres, footwear, and rubber mats, minimizing reliance on virgin rubber and decreasing manufacturing expenses.
Cryogenic Grinding
During this process, tyres are cooled to very low temperatures with liquid nitrogen, which makes them hard and easier to grind into powder. This rubber powder is later applied in playground surfaces, road works (as crumb rubber modifier), and moulded products.
Although more costly at the moment, cryogenic grinding yields a purer product with less metal and fiber contamination, increasing its value and usefulness in premium applications.
Artificial Intelligence and IoT Integration
Technology is also making tyre collection, tracking, and processing smoother. Smart sensors, GPS location tracking, and AI-based logistics platforms are being utilized to control ELT collection effectively in India. These enable traceability, lower operational costs, and improve recycling supply chain optimization.
Also, AI is being applied to quality control equipment in recycling facilities to identify impurities and sort materials with high accuracy, improving the overall quality of recycled material.
The Place of Policy and Online Platforms
India’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has moved to regularise and regulate the tyre recycling system. The implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy for waste tyres requires manufacturers to ensure the correct recycling of a portion of the tyres they manufacture.
Platforms such as eprxchange.com play a crucial role in enabling this compliance. By bringing tyre manufacturers, recyclers, and EPR-registered waste management operators together, such platforms use technology to introduce transparency and accountability into the recycling process. Such online marketplaces ease documentation, facilitate transactions, and provide for CPCB guideline compliance, enabling a more circular and compliant tyre economy.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
In spite of these developments, there are still challenges. Most recycling activities remain in the informal sector without access to technology or investment. High capital requirements for establishing pyrolysis or devulcanization facilities and poor awareness among stakeholders are also hindrances to growth.
To address these challenges, India requires:
Financial incentives and subsidies for technology-enabled recyclers.
Improved public-private partnerships to promote innovation.
Training schemes for workers in the informal sector to move into formal operations.
Strong enforcement of EPR requirements throughout the supply chain.
Conclusion
Technology is not only an enabler, but a game changer in the tyre recycling industry. From AI logistics and pyrolysis plants to digital compliance platforms such as eprxchange, innovation is driving India away from a linear to a circular economy of tyres. With ongoing investment, policy incentives, and collaborative action by stakeholders, the nation can convert the emerging issue of tyre waste into a model for sustainable development.