The year 2020 has been a year like no other. The pandemic has brought everyone on the same platform. We all have been a mute witness to the rage of Nature and the apocalypse it can create. The question which persists in my mind is ‘Have we really learnt any lessons from the same?’ Are we going to treat Mother Earth better and build a sustainable planet for our future generation?

On a brighter note, most economies are showing signs of phenomenal recovery. The automobile sector looks to be one of the biggest beneficiaries. Vehicular traffic on the road and the number of new vehicle registrations are a big indicator of the same. In fact, an Indian two-wheeler manufacturer broke its own export record in December 2020. Our belief has proved true again. The human race has endured many such pandemics throughout the years of evolution and evolved better, stronger, smarter.

Processing ELTs

Indogreen Enviro has been involved in the process of ELTs (End of life Tyres) for about a decade.

We have been witnessing the growth of the tyre recycling industry. From the 1970-2000, the majority of organised ELT recycling was about making ‘Devulcanised rubber reclaim sheets.’ These sheets are used in a wide range of applications like tyre re-treads, bicycle tyres, conveyor belts, rubber compounds to name a few.

From 2000 onwards the market started changing due to the introduction of radial tyres. The radial tyres had high tensile steel in them and now could not be grinded directly like the nylon tyres. They need new technology Shredders, Raspers, Granulators to make it ready for grinding. This decade saw many high technology shredding and granulation plants coming up across the country. This included India’s largest and fully automated 100 Mt/annum plant till date Vapi, Gujarat. These granulation plants created a new market for ELT granules-based playground tiles and mats. The CRMB(Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen) also gained acceptance in large national road construction projects.

Batch type pyrolysis plants

From 2005 onwards, there was a new tyre recycling technology introduced to the Indian market - ‘Batch type pyrolysis plants.’ These plants were initially imported from China. Though profitable, they were extremely unstable, environmentally non-compliant and unsafe for operation. Due to their profitability ,By the year 2019,India had more than 1000 batch type-pyrolysis plants installed. The combined tyre requirement per day for these plants was about 10,000 Mt/day. That would mean a requirement of 10,00,000 passenger car tyres every day, to give a perspective. This monster had a huge appetite that could not be met with tyres from India. So these pyrolysis companies started looking for imported tyres with a perpetual supply possibility from round the globe.

There was only one challenge. The pyrolysis plants are not allowed to import tyres. The shredding companies were allowed to import with a license from DGFT. The batch type pyrolysis companies started buying container loads of tyres from the shredding companies. India started importing about 900,000 MT annually making it the largest importer of ELT in the world until July 2019.The Public Interest Litigation filed against the ‘Batch type pyrolysis plants’ put the brakes on these transactions. The government was forced to take cognisance of the humungous nature of the impending matter at hand.

This is the India story, but could be a similar story for any country from Asia where the Scrap Tyre disposal policy is not yet framed or implemented. I am taking the stance of the agitator than just being a mute spectator. There is so much that can be done than what is being done today.

Scrap tyre disposal policy

There is a strong buzz about ‘Circular Economy’ in Europe and the US. Large tyre companies and chemical giants are investing in various tyre technologies to bring the derivatives from the tyres to be reused in manufacturing new tyres. In India, we don’t even have a national scrap tyre disposal policy. Most local tyre companies are still waiting for an ‘EPR’ to start thinking of sustainable disposal. 

In fact, we as a country need ‘Circular economy.’ The responsibly recycled ELT can create high quality reclaim rubber, High calorific value oil with possibility on further hydro treatment to distil commercial grade diesel & petrol, commercial grade carbon black for manufacturing pigments, etc, liberated fibre to make thermoplastics, liberated gases that can be further processed, this can go on and on. There is so much of interest from large companies to set up plants to process this waste but they hesitate because of the lack of a government framework to support the huge capital investment required.

Despite all odds, some companies from India have done some amazing work in developing innovative ELT recycling technologies. A fine example would be Radhe Renewable Energy Development Ltd, Rajkot. They conceived, developed and now operate the ‘World Largest 100 MT Per Day Single Reactor Continuous Pyrolysis Plant ‘ for the last 8 years in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. No other company from around the globe can boast of this feat.In fact some of the large global giants who were looking for a commercial scale large continuous plant could not believe that such a plant and technology existed, that too from a non-descript town from India. This company now supplies ASTM grade Carbon Black and High Calorie fuel to Indian tyre industry beginning the ‘Circular Economy.’

Another interesting Company is Hotfut Sports, an award-winning sports infrastructure development and management company that has been one of the largest consumers of turf technology and synthetic turf products across its various formats. These products have a primary infill requirement of SBR rubber. HotFut has consciously been adapting its procurement process to ensure all SBR and infill / shock-pad requirements are sourced responsibly using recycled ELT’s / rubber scrap making all their facilities more environmentally friendly. They have structured solutions for forward thinking tyre companies wanting to pro-actively process their ELT with a win -win proposition. Many major tyre companies have found their solution very sustainable as well as profitable.

Last year, Internet was abuzz about this start up ‘Blink Green’ from Pune, India. They used ELT for making attractive ladies’ footwear and purses. They have found the utility of this wonderful waste and now is utilising her designing skill and the expertise of the cobble community to churn out beautiful, durable items for the domestic and global market.

These kinds of stories are emerging from all across the continent Imagine the power of scalability of these kind of products with the right kind of financial and marketing support.

I look forward to the day (soon) when we have the ‘Scrap tyre disposal policy’ is finally rolled out and the top tyre companies wait for the EPR policy is over. With a sizeable contribution coming out of their respective CSR budgets and ATMA’s able guidance, a national body to look at new & innovative sustainable disposal practices for ELT could be established. This would be a giant first step taken in the Asian subcontinent towards sustainable recycling of this incredible waste and thus setting a precedence for other countries to follow.

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The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) published its Monthly Natural Rubber Statistical Report for August 2026, noting firmer prices in several markets. Supply constraints, stable downstream demand and persistent geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty shaped the month. Renewed conflict and disruptions to major shipping routes added further pressure.

Physical prices for major grades moved in different directions. SMR-20 in Kuala Lumpur averaged USD 2.31 per kg, up 4.25 percent from July, while STR-20 in Bangkok rose 1.40 percent to USD 2.39 per kg. RSS-3 dropped 4.18 percent to USD 2.80 per kg, but RSS-4 in Kottayam gained 0.57 percent to USD 2.92 per kg. Latex-in-bulk fell 4.73 percent to USD 1.73 per kg. Brent crude averaged USD 91.08 per barrel, driven by concerns over possible restrictions on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and wider Middle East instability, which raised energy supply risks and strengthened the oil market risk premium.

On trade, China's imports climbed 3.39 percent month-on-month, while India fell 10.18 percent and Malaysia dropped 8.24 percent; Viet Nam rose 5.08 percent. Exports advanced 5.63 percent in Viet Nam but declined in Thailand (-5.24 percent), Indonesia (-5.36 percent), Malaysia (-1.48 percent) and Cambodia (-1.88 percent).

Global production is projected to rise 0.6 percent to 15.039 million tons in 2026 from 14.952 million tonnes in 2025, after revisions to Thailand's 2025 output and updated 2026 estimates for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Weather, including erratic rainfall and drier Southeast Asian conditions, affected output. August 2026 production was estimated at 1.396 million tonnes, down 4.51 percent from 1.462 million tonnes a year earlier. Demand is forecast to grow 0.4 percent to 15.356 million tonnes in 2026 from 15.301 million tonnes, with the largest consumption gains expected in China, Malaysia and Cambodia. Prospects depend on vehicle sales, tyre production, shipping conditions and weather-related supply disruptions, while steady EV-linked demand supported modest growth led by China and India. The ringgit traded between RM4.02 per USD and RM4.09 per USD, and the baht between 32.68 and 33.34. The SHFE January 2027 contract averaged 18,109 CNY per tonne, up 7.78 percent month-on-month, while the SGX November 2026 contract averaged USD 2.24 per kg, up 4.32 percent.

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HS HYOSUNG has formalised a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the State Government of San Luis Potosí, with the signing taking place at the World Trade Center Mexico City. The event formed part of the Korea-Mexico Business Forum, held alongside the Korean economic delegation's visit to Mexico.

Attending officials included Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's Secretary of Economy, and Mario García Valdez, Secretary of Economic Development of San Luis Potosí. The two sides confirmed their shared resolve to back the company's local investment and regional growth. Separately, HS HYOSUNG's leadership met bilaterally with Secretary Ebrard to elaborate on its strategic vision and investment plans.

The agreement sets out a phased expansion of HS HYOSUNG's investments in San Luis Potosí beginning in 2027, with the goal of creating a major advanced materials production hub that bolsters supply for North American and wider global markets. The company's advanced materials span tyre cord, a flagship world-leading product, along with mobility, energy, aerospace and defence applications. Its North American operations, spanning Mexico and the United States, turn out tyre cord, airbag materials and mobility interior components for global leaders such as General Motors and Goodyear, underpinned by a highly dependable global supply chain.

Nak-yang Sung, CEO, HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS, said, “This investment goes beyond establishing a simple manufacturing base – it reflects our strategy to turn Mexico into a pivotal hub connecting North America with global supply networks. We are also committed to strengthening local supply chains and creating high-quality jobs to contribute directly to the region's industrial ecosystem.”

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Kumho Petrochemical Group is steering its business towards research-driven, higher-value outputs as oversupply and soft demand continue to weigh on the worldwide petrochemical sector. The Seoul-based group outlined plans to boost spending on speciality chemicals, sustainable materials and novel production methods, a push intended to lift profits while building a foundation for future expansion.

Underlying the move is a deliberate evolution in the group's identity, from a bulk materials vendor to a provider of technology-backed solutions that address shifting customer requirements and stricter environmental rules. A central element of that effort involves widening the speciality lineup, exemplified by added capacity for solution styrene butadiene rubber, a synthetic rubber that enhances durability, rolling resistance and tread wear in high-performance electric vehicle tyres.

Environmental initiatives form another pillar. Facilities built by the company can trap approximately 76,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, while separately developed technology turns recycled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene sourced from scrapped household appliances into automotive-grade interior components that satisfy performance standards and generate fewer emissions than conventional methods. The group has also joined forces with POSCO Future M and BEI on anode-free lithium-metal battery development.

Parallel technology-focused programmes are underway at affiliated units. Kumho P&B Chemicals is formulating water-based epoxy resins that curb volatile organic compound releases while incorporating more bio-based inputs to reduce carbon intensity. Kumho Mitsui Chemicals is advancing bio-based polyurethane systems and electric vehicle materials, alongside debottlenecking work to add 100,000 tonnes of annual methylene diphenyl diisocyanate capacity. Kumho Polychem, meanwhile, is targeting ethylene propylene diene monomer through low-temperature polymerisation paired with energy-efficiency improvements.

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Birla Carbon has confirmed a price increase of up to 15 percent for its Speciality Materials products across Asia, scheduled to take effect on 1 October 2026. The company pointed to significant and sustained rises in feedstock costs, driven partly by ongoing geopolitical instability and disruptions in global feedstock markets, as the reason behind the adjustment.

Although Birla Carbon pursued operational efficiencies, supply chain optimisation and disciplined cost management to soften the impact, the scale and persistence of the cost escalation left a price adjustment unavoidable. The company's sales teams will engage customers directly to explain the details and help them navigate the transition.

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