After more than three decades in tyre recycling, Pliteq CEO Paul Downey argues that despite rising sustainability rhetoric, the industry’s core technologies and material flows have barely evolved. While perceptions of recycled materials have improved, real innovation, he said, has been slower, narrower and far more uneven than expected.

Paul Downey, Chief Executive Officer of Pliteq, has worked in end-of-life tyre recycling since 1990. In that time, he expected major breakthroughs in pyrolysis and tyre-to-tyre recycling. He says they never came.

“When you look at pyrolysis, that hasn’t really changed in 30 years,” Downey said in an exclusive interview with Tyre Trends. “When you look at the use of rubber back into tyres, still a very small percentage of waste tyres goes back into new tyres,” he added.

Despite more money, more participants and more attention on recycling, he describes the sector as remarkably static. These, he said, were the areas where he expected research and to unlock scale. “Frankly the needle hasn’t moved very far in all those years. I’ve only seen very, very small changes in the last 30 years,” Downey noted.

One reason is energy. “Tyres take a tremendous amount of energy to grind up. So, you still need a lot of energy. Energy challenges are going to be an ongoing issue,” he said, pointing to wider stress on energy infrastructure.

That energy intensity affects both mechanical recycling and pyrolysis, where tyres are broken into oil, gas and carbon black. While refining recovered carbon black has long been studied, Downey says progress has been limited.

“You can refine the carbon black to make it more useful by tyre companies in terms of not degrading the quality of the finished tyre,” he said, adding that this has been researched for decades without dramatic improvement.

Pyrolysis remains minor in North America with a significant share of tyres still used as tyre-derived fuel. Downey divides end-of-life tyre use roughly into thirds viz-a-viz moulded goods, tyre-derived fuel and applications such as rubber-modified asphalt, which he says has also seen limited uptake since 1990.

After university, Downey joined a company that was already working with tyre manufacturing waste with materials that could not be used in new tyres due to quality deviations.

“When you produce a tyre, about two to three percent of the materials are off-spec. These materials can’t be used to make a tyre, so that becomes waste. That waste, combined with ELTs, was processed into noise and vibration products, primarily for automotive, heavy truck, and off-the-road vehicle applications,” he explained.

“This was back in the early 1990s. The original use was non-tyre. It was mostly in the noise and vibration space for vehicles,” Downey said.

In 1998, after developing multiple patents in Canada and the United States, Downey founded his own company. Initially, the business model revolved around licensing those patents to manufacturers, largely in the US. Over time, that approach evolved. “When I formed Pliteq, I stopped doing the licensing. All of the patents are now being used by the company,” he said.

FROM PATENTS TO PLITEQ

Today, Pliteq focuses on manufacturing finished products rather than licensing technology. The company produces sound and vibration control materials, insulated floor mats and building products made from recycled ELT rubber. Its applications range from isolating vibration caused by subway and railway lines to managing noise and vibration from HVAC systems, pumps, compressors and mechanical rooms in buildings.

“We’re looking at all the places in or around a building under construction where rubber could be used,” Downey explained.

Asked what has changed in the tyre recycling industry over the last 30 to 35 years, Downey’s answer is candid. “Remarkably, little has changed,” he quipped.

While markets for recycled tyres have expanded, the underlying technologies and material flows remain largely the same. Pyrolysis, often cited as a future solution for ELTs, has not progressed as dramatically as expected. “That hasn’t really changed tremendously in 30 years,” Downey noted.

Similarly, efforts to put recycled rubber back into new tyres have seen limited success. “There have been some efforts by major tyre companies but still a very, very small percentage of waste tyres goes back into new tyres. Those were areas where I thought there was a lot of potential for research, but the needle hasn’t moved very far,” he said.

Where the industry has evolved more meaningfully is in moulded goods. “That’s where we’ve seen the most development,” Downey said, pointing to sound and vibration products, underlayments and recycled rubber flooring used in schools, hospitals, gyms and fitness facilities. In North America, he estimates that moulded goods account for roughly one-third of ELT usage.

Another third of ELTs is used as tyre-derived fuel, while the remainder goes into applications such as rubber-modified asphalt, an area Downey says existed in 1990 and has not seen significant market uptake despite ongoing research.

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS

One of the most significant shifts Downey has witnessed is not technological but cultural. “When I started, recycling was a bad word. People didn’t want to buy recycled products because they thought it was garbage,” he said.

That perception has changed substantially. Today, architects, builders and developers show strong interest in sustainable materials, particularly in construction. While Downey does not attribute this shift directly to regulation, he acknowledges a broader market preference for sustainability.

“Now people don’t view recycling as inferior. That attitude has definitely changed over the last 30 years,” he said.

Moreover, public scrutiny around recycled rubber has intensified in recent years, particularly regarding the use of crumb rubber in athletic fields. Downey addressed these concerns directly, referencing studies he has reviewed.

“I haven’t seen any research that shows a correlation between crumb rubber and health issues. The Synthetic Turf Council conducted a multi-year study that showed exactly the opposite,” he said.

In Downey’s view, the primary concern around crumb rubber is environmental rather than medical. “It’s a powder. Potentially, it can wash away into the water supply,” he said.

Pliteq, however, is not active in the turf infill market. “We don’t sell crumb into athletic fields. We strictly manufacture moulded goods for sound control, vibration isolation, flooring and building products,” Downey clarifies.

SCALE AND FOOTPRINT

Pliteq operates offices in seven countries and sells into approximately 50 markets worldwide. Its main manufacturing facility is located in Canada, supported by two smaller plants in United States. Collectively, these facilities produce about 44,000 metric tonnes of finished products annually.

To achieve this output, Pliteq consumes roughly 60,000 metric tonnes of ELTs. “We don’t use the steel or textile,” Downey explained, referring to the components removed during tyre processing.

The company sources tyres primarily from North America, tapping into a collection network that has been established over the past three decades. ELTs are categorised into three distinct groups viz-a-viz passenger and light truck tyres, heavy truck tyres and mining or off-the-road tyres, each with different rubber compositions and properties.

“We keep those three categories separate. The amount and type of rubber are quite distinct,” Downey said.

Pliteq’s patents focus on application and use rather than core processing technologies. Beyond patents, the company relies heavily on proprietary know-how. “We have a number of trade secret processes that we don’t disclose,” Downey said.

These include particle selection, tyre source selection, screening, cleaning, formulation, mixing and moulding. “We do things in a way that nobody else in the world is doing. That allows us to achieve certain quality levels, surface finishes and performance characteristics that aren’t generally available,” he says.

Quality control is embedded throughout the manufacturing process. Downey estimated that each product passes through around seven distinct quality checks, supported by machine operators, automated systems and visual inspections. Any waste generated during production is reprocessed and reused, reinforcing a closed-loop manufacturing approach.

Pliteq operates a hybrid business model. Technology development, product design and manufacturing are largely centralised, while sales, warehousing and distribution are managed regionally. This structure allows the company to adapt products to local market needs.

“Some markets have very distinct requirements. What’s needed in UK might not be required in Singapore, Australia or US,” Downey said.

THE ROAD AHEAD

Looking forward, Downey sees gradual rather than dramatic change. Energy consumption remains a major challenge as tyre grinding is energy-intensive. Broader issues such as energy infrastructure strain and shifting global trade patterns also weigh on the industry.

Despite these challenges, Pliteq continues to reinvest its earnings back into the business. “We’re on a growth curve. We reinvest all the money back into the company and into the markets,” Downey said.

The company is currently operating at around 80 percent capacity, a level Downey stated is close to optimal. Expansion will focus first on strengthening existing teams across its seven offices before opening new locations.

“We’ve built the manufacturing model so it can scale as demand grows. But we only put new facilities where the market can sustain them,” he said.

After more than three decades in the ELT space, Downey remains pragmatic. The industry may not have transformed as dramatically as once hoped, but in moulded products and building applications, Pliteq continues to carve out a space where recycled tyres deliver measurable performance and growing acceptance in the built environment.

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Nokian Tyres has announced the appointment of Ville Mansikkamäki as Senior Vice President for Heavy Tyres, effective by 1 October 2026. The executive, who holds an Executive MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Logistics, will also join the company’s management team. Based in Nokia, Finland, Mansikkamäki will report directly to President and CEO Paolo Pompei.

Mansikkamäki joins the Finnish tyre manufacturer from Ponsse Plc, a global producer of cut-to-length forest machines, where he served as Vice President for Europe. His background includes senior business leadership roles at CNH, Valtra and AGCO, bringing extensive experience in heavy equipment and logistics.

He succeeds Tron Gulbrandsen, who has been managing Nokian Heavy Tyres on an interim basis. Gulbrandsen will continue his regular duties as Senior Vice President for Passenger Car Tyres in the Nordics.

Paolo Pompei, President and CEO, Nokian Tyres, said, “I am pleased to welcome Ville Mansikkamäki to Nokian Tyres. His deep expertise in machinery industry and strong international leadership background will significantly support the continued development of our heavy tyres business. I would like to thank Tron for his leadership and valuable contribution to Nokian Heavy Tyres.

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Kumho Tire USA has appointed Carolina Wagner as its new Vice President of Marketing, a move aimed at reinforcing the company’s brand strength and competitive edge across the passenger, light truck and commercial vehicle segments in United States.

Wagner will take charge of all marketing operations for Kumho Tire USA, including brand strategy, product marketing, digital outreach, demand generation and sales support. Working alongside executive leadership and the sales team, she will focus on aligning marketing efforts with the firm’s ambitious growth objectives in the American market.

With over 25 years of executive experience at global tyre companies such as Continental Tires the Americas and Goodyear, Wagner has led growth and brand initiatives across the tyre, mobility, SaaS and material handling sectors. Her career began in Rio de Janeiro, advancing through leadership roles in Brazil and Latin America before moving to United States. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Universidade Santa Úrsula and an MBA from IBMEC Rio de Janeiro.

Ed Cho, CEO, Kumho Tire USA, said, "Carolina's arrival marks a pivotal moment for Kumho Tire. Her deep expertise in the tyre industry, combined with her proven ability to build integrated marketing strategies that deliver measurable results, makes her the ideal leader to drive our next chapter. We are confident that she will be a key force in taking Kumho Tire's brand positioning to the next level."

Wagner said, "I am incredibly excited to join Kumho Tire and work alongside the executive leadership team to continue elevating the brand in the US. The company has tremendous growth potential with high-quality new products on the roadmap that deliver on its performance without compromise mantra. I'm excited to execute integrated, data-driven strategies to increase brand awareness and ultimately fuel growth."

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Mahatma Gandhi University’s School of Polymer Science and Technology has announced the opening of admissions for its Executive M.Tech programme in Polymer Engineering and Nanotechnology for the 2026–27 academic year, targeting working professionals and industry-sponsored candidates seeking advanced technical specialisation.

The programme will be conducted at the Convergence Academia Complex, located on the second floor of the university campus at Priyadarshini Hills, P.O. Kottayam, Kerala. The university, which is graded as a Category 1 autonomous institution by the University Grants Commission (UGC), is positioning the course as an industry-aligned offering designed to bridge academic research and industrial application.

Admissions are currently open, with the last date for submitting applications set as 30 April  2026.

Designed For Industry Professionals

The Executive M.Tech programme is tailored specifically for working professionals, reflecting the growing demand for flexible, advanced education pathways within technical industries. Sponsored candidates from organisations, as well as direct applicants with relevant professional experience, are eligible to apply.

Candidates must hold either an M.Sc. or B.Tech degree in relevant science or engineering disciplines. While preference will be given to employed candidates, others may also be considered subject to seat availability.

The programme offers a total of 24 seats, including 20 allocated for Indian candidates and four reserved for international applicants, signalling the university’s intent to attract a diverse cohort.

Interdisciplinary Focus

The curriculum emphasises an interdisciplinary approach, combining Polymer Engineering, Nanotechnology and Materials Science. This structure reflects broader shifts within manufacturing and materials industries, where cross-domain expertise is increasingly critical.

Courses will be delivered by a mix of academic faculty and industry practitioners, ensuring exposure to both theoretical frameworks and real-world applications. The university highlights that this dual approach is aimed at equipping professionals with practical insights alongside advanced technical knowledge.

Programme Highlights

Among the key features of the course are its focus on industry relevance and its alignment with evolving technological demands. The programme is structured to support professionals in enhancing their capabilities without stepping away from their careers.

The university notes that the course is particularly suited to those looking to deepen expertise in polymer science and nanotechnology while remaining engaged in industrial roles.

Application Process

Applications for the programme must be submitted online via the official application form:
https://forms.gle/yfTeeevAVLzmuK8P9

Prospective candidates can access additional information through the School of Polymer Science and Technology’s website at spst.mgu.ac.in.

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TVS Srichakra Limited has assumed contractual rights and obligations from its US subsidiary under an agreement with Bristol Motor Speedway LLC.

The Madurai-based company said in a regulatory filing that it executed an assignment and assumption agreement on April 10, 2026 with Super Grip Corporation and Bristol Motor Speedway. Under the arrangement, TVS Srichakra takes over all rights, duties and obligations previously held by Super Grip Corporation under a suite licence agreement dated February 16, 2024 and a sponsorship agreement dated April 5, 2024.

The company will pay USD 1,033,250 in instalments over the remaining term of the agreements. No consideration is payable to Super Grip Corporation for the transfer.

The original terms of the licence and sponsorship agreements remain unchanged, and the arrangements are set to run until December 31, 2028.

TVS Srichakra said the move was intended to enhance the visibility and reach of its brands in global markets.

Super Grip Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of the company, while Bristol Motor Speedway is an unrelated third party. The assignment between TVS Srichakra and Super Grip Corporation qualifies as a related party transaction and has been conducted on an arm’s length basis.

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