The mission of tyre manufacturers around the world is to provide an efficient unit for conducting manufacturing operations and to ultimately reduce material wastage and promote a more circular market by using the materials from end-of-life-tyres
According to data from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development ( WBCSD) of December 2019, every year more than 30 million tons of end-of-life tyres are discarded worldwide. Hence, the Portuguese management entity Valorpneu and the multinational recycler Genan, with the technical and management support of the Beta-i consultancy is focusing on creating projects to present new ways to use materials derived from end-of life-tyres, without wastage.
In order to utilise the materials derived from end-of-life tyre, recycling methods were taken into consideration. Valorpneu and Genan decided to invest in an innovation program with a collaborative methodology, designed by the innovation consultancy Beta-i.
Beta-i is capable of uniting the two companies with partners from all over the world and hence it has made its agenda in considering development projects that will improve the sustainability of the sector.
Climénia Silva, Valorpneu’s General Director, stated that- “sustainability, resilience, circular economy and innovation are fundamental concepts for Valorpneu. For some time now, the need and potential of an economy that guarantees the preservation of the environment and natural resources have been discussed.
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According to José Carvalho, Genan’s Director of Business Innovation, “the core of everything at Genan is sustainability. It is in the DNA of the company and its employees. For Genan, sustainability means aiming for a greener planet, doing our best in all our processes, from the reception of end-of-life tires to the production of clean and high-quality products. Programs like this allow us to put into practice this search for sustainability and enhance our slogan – STRIVING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.“
"In this pandemic context, we are living in the expectation of a more sustainable restart, this model goes from a necessity to an obligation. As a used tyre management entity in Portugal, Valorpneu has been permanently investing in R&D and in the development of new solutions for end-of-life tyre derivatives and NextLap is another company’s bet in this sense. A project that creates the opportunity for startups and companies to be at the forefront of building a more sustainable and responsible future.“
According to Pedro Rocha Vieira, co-founder, and CEO of Beta-i, “given the pressure that economic activities currently exert on natural resources, it is part of our DNA to invest in collaborative innovation projects that promote the circular economy and reduce waste. We have already done this at the European level with programs aimed at the reduction of plastic in retail and the reuse of furniture. We will now focus on the use of materials from end-of-life-tyres.
"Now, we’re back to using our unique methodology in the tyre reuse sector. We want to create synergies with innovators from all over the world alongside Valorpneu and Genan and help test real market solutions, with real benefits for the environment. For program partners, this is a way to quickly access global innovation, and for entrepreneurs, it is a unique opportunity to grow and have a global impact.“
The proposals with the best technologies, processes, and business models were taken into consideration and now, top tech-companies will participate in a three-day boot camp to start working with Valorpneu and Genan in developing pilot projects to treat, reuse and bring innovative applications to the three components derived from end-of-life-tyres ;rubber granules, textile fibers, and steel.
