India’s used tyre industry is facing growing scrutiny, with concerns mounting over a surge of imports from developed nations like the United Kingdom. The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has joined forces with the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) to urge authorities to enforce stricter regulations on waste tyre exports, citing significant environmental and safety risks.

Data released by ATMA reveals a sharp increase in used tyre imports to India last year, with nearly 800,000 tonnes arriving between April and November 2023. With its reported 300,000 tonnes of annual exports, the UK is a significant source of these used tyres.

Industry experts warn that a significant portion of these imported tyres, estimated at 10-15 percent, are sold for reuse, raising concerns about their safety and quality. According to reports, the remaining majority are processed through outdated and polluting “batch-pyrolysis” methods. While legal, this practice falls under the “orange” category of India’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) colour-coded system, just below the most hazardous “red” category.

The CPCB’s December 2023 report proposed the colour system as a tool to encourage cleaner technologies and stricter compliance. The TRA welcomes ATMA’s collaboration with the CPCB and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. This joint effort aims to implement new regulations and address the environmental and safety challenges posed by the import and disposal of used tyres.

Peter Taylor OBE, Secretary General of the TRA, said, “This confirms our long-held suspicions and what many operators have been saying for a long time. While we are grateful to India’s Automobile Tyre Manufactures Association, people should be shocked at how their findings lay bare the inadequacy of the UK government’s response to TRA demands for tighter export controls. Now the Chair of the ATMA, Anshuman Singhania, is also calling for tyres to be size reduced before import to India (in UK terms shredded) to prevent their abuse by an onward market; perhaps the UK government can finally act to update the out of date and failing UK regulatory framework.”

“The British government should also listen to Prashanth Doreswamy, President and CEO, Continental Tire India, who has called for new regulations to be enacted in India to curtail the imports of waste tyres and allow only shred. There is no reason for the UK authorities to continue to dither; they should ensure we only export shredded tyres, grow our circular, environmentally responsible market and follow the very successful Australian example. ATMA has exposed the low standards of environmental practices which appear in some parts of their domestic industry. The evidence from them is clear: too many operators in the Indian onward market are not meeting the recognised environmental standards or their equivalence. It is time the UK government woke up and acknowledged that far from tackling this environmental assault, they are enabling UK operators to facilitate environmental harm. It is time the UK government does the right thing to help India stop these environmental abuses, as India’s manufacturers demand of us,” Taylor added. 

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Vaculug, Europe’s largest independent retreader producing high-quality OTR and truck retread tyres for fleets across the UK and Europe, has expanded its UK presence by acquiring Tyrefair in Kinross, Scotland.

This strategic acquisition extends the company's award-winning service further north, ensuring Scottish customers receive the same high-quality OTR and truck retread tyres Vaculug has supplied for 75 years. Since the purchase, the Kinross location has already grown by 25 percent, with an ambitious target to double its business within a year and then double it again.

This move is a key part of Vaculug's 2026 growth strategy, focused on strategic acquisitions that enable better, faster and more sustainable customer service. The acquisition reinforces Vaculug’s long-standing environmental mission, marking a new chapter of sustainable growth with a strengthened Scottish operation.

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Nokian Tyres is expanding its US presence through a new nationwide partnership with American Tire Distributors (ATD). This agreement provides Nokian access to ATD’s vast network of over 110 distribution centres, serving roughly 80,000 customers.

The collaboration will efficiently supply tyre shops with Nokian’s complete product lineup, enabling dealers to broaden their inventory. Both companies bring 90 years of experience and a shared dedication to innovation, safety and sustainability. This partnership will offer drivers more choices, supported by Nokian’s award-winning Tennessee factory and ATD’s technology-driven logistics.

This enhanced distribution capability ensures that consumers will have greater access to a full spectrum of high-performance tyres, meeting diverse driving needs and conditions. The alliance strengthens both brands' market positions by combining premium products with an unparalleled delivery system, ultimately improving service for dealers and drivers alike across the country.

Chris Ostrander, SVP, North America, Nokian Tyres, said, “The partnership with ATD enables us to reach more tyre shops and more drivers than ever before. ATD’s robust distribution network, customer service and responsiveness strengthen our agility to serve both new and existing customers.”

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The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) has announced a new webinar series designed to advance the circular economy for end-of-life tyres (ELTs) in collaboration with the Tire Recycling Foundation. Titled ‘The Road to 100% Tire Circularity: ELTs Going Full Circle’, the initiative aims to foster the development of scalable and profitable markets for recycled tyres. The series will launch in September 2025 and continue through February 2026.

Hosted by John Sheerin, USTMA’s Senior Director of ELT Programs, each session will convene industry experts, recyclers and state policymakers. Their discussions will focus on the latest research and real-world applications that transform waste tyres into valuable resources, thereby diverting them from landfills and generating environmental, industrial and economic benefits.

The programme will explore three of the most promising markets for end-of-life tyres. It begins on 23 September 2025 with a session on tyre-derived aggregate (TDA), examining its use in civil engineering projects like structural fill and stormwater management. A subsequent webinar on 30 October 2025 will cover the growing market for moulded and extruded products made from recycled rubber.

A significant portion of the series will be dedicated to rubber-modified asphalt (RMA), a material known for creating longer-lasting and more sustainable roadways. An introductory session on 20 November 2025 will review the overall performance and benefits of RMA. This will be followed by two regional deep dives: one on 14 January 2026, focusing on practical applications in Midwestern states like Michigan and Ohio, and another on 28 January 2026, exploring its adoption in Southern states including Kentucky and Georgia. The series will culminate on 24 February 2026 with a capstone session providing a comprehensive overview of grant and funding opportunities available to support the growth of these ELT markets.

This initiative addresses a critical need. While tyres are one of the most recycled products in US, and stockpiles have been reduced by 94 percent over the past three decades, the generation of end-of-life tyres continues to outpace their consumption in recycling markets. The webinar series is presented as a strategic pathway to bridge this gap by promoting innovative and sustainable end-use applications.

Those interested in shaping the future of tyre management are encouraged to register for any or all of the webinars through the USTMA website. Attendees will receive a resource kit after each session to help facilitate further discussion and action.

Anne Forristall Luke, President & CEO, USTMA, said, “We view these webinars as a crucial opportunity to connect key leaders across the country and show them that sustainability and economic growth go hand-in-hand. By showcasing proven applications and providing the tools to act, we can collectively turn ELTs from a waste challenge into an economic engine.”

Sheerin said, “As we look to expand ELT markets and unlock the full environmental and economic potential of end-of-life tyres, collaboration is essential. And no one can do it alone. State DOTs, regulators, recyclers and manufacturers must work together to help grow ELT markets through targeted investment, supportive policy and continued research.”

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Continental is accelerating its commitment to sustainability by integrating a growing proportion of renewable and recycled materials into its tyre manufacturing. The company’s current average of 26 percent is projected to rise by several percentage points within the year, with a strategic goal of reaching at least 40 percent by 2030. A central pillar of this initiative involves rethinking the sourcing of two essential components: rubber and resins.

Rubber is a fundamental material, constituting up to 40 percent of a modern high-performance tyre’s weight. Continental utilises a complex blend of up to 100 different raw materials, engineered into numerous customised rubber compounds for each tyre. The portfolio includes both natural rubber, prized for its durability and resistance in critical areas like truck treads, and synthetic rubber, which enhances braking performance and rolling resistance in passenger vehicles. The company is now progressively replacing conventional fossil-based synthetic rubber with more sustainable alternatives. This includes synthetic rubber derived from used cooking oil and pyrolysis oil from end-of-life tyres, sourced from certified partners like Synthos and TotalEnergies Cray Valley.

Complementing rubber, specialised resins are vital for optimising a tyre’s performance characteristics. These resins help fine-tune the balance between elasticity and resilience, which directly improves wet grip, abrasion resistance and energy efficiency. Continental is incorporating circular resins, also certified under the ISCC PLUS standard, which originate from renewable feedstocks like vegetable oil or used cooking oil.

Furthermore, the company is adopting sustainable alternatives for key additives. For instance, it is the first tyre manufacturer to use a certified biocircular version of the antioxidant TMQ. Produced from waste materials such as recycled cooking oil, this additive achieves a carbon footprint over 30 percent lower than its conventional counterpart.

To systematically track and scale the use of these sustainable materials, Continental employs a mass balance approach. This method allows fossil-based, renewable and recycled feedstocks to be mixed in production while accurately attributing the sustainable content to the final product. This system provides verifiable documentation and enables Continental to continuously increase its use of certified materials across its entire tyre range.

Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tires, said, “We’re closing the loop: Continental is ramping up its commitment to a circular economy and mapping out its path for the future. Innovative solutions enable us to use more sustainable raw materials, such as synthetic rubber made from used cooking oil or resins based on certified renewable feedstocks originally derived from vegetable oil.”

Matthias Haufe, Head of Material Development and Industrialisation at Continental Tires, said, “The mass balance approach enables us to efficiently manage the complexity of the raw materials portfolio and track how these raw materials are used at multiple production sites in a wide range of markets. In this way, we can steadily increase the share of renewable and recycled materials in our tyre production – and transparently document the progress we make.”

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