Recycling used tires – an underestimated sustainability issue

March 5, 2026

The problem of used tires has been a well-known environmental issue for years, yet politicians and industry have so far failed to provide answers. In Germany alone, around 100.000 used tires disappear outside of regulated disposal channels every year. Modern recycling solutions can remedy this situation.

Driven by our vision of a world without plastic waste, enespa has been working for years on complex material flows that have so far only been inadequately integrated into functioning material cycles. In addition to classic plastic waste, an area is increasingly coming into focus that has received comparatively little attention in the automotive sustainability discourse: the recycling of used tires.

While metal, plastic, and battery recycling, as well as emissions reduction, have long been firmly on the automotive industry's agenda, used tires are often only discussed peripherally. Yet, they represent a globally growing waste problem of considerable significance. As a specialist in industrial plant engineering and related services, enespa has been working for years on innovative solutions to close sustainable material cycles, even in complex areas like tire recycling.

How many used tires are generated globally?

The scale of the problem is considerable. Around one billion used tires are generated worldwide every year. In Europe and North America, this figure rises to several hundred million tires annually, which must be disposed of or recycled at the end of their service life. Tires are therefore among the largest continuous waste streams.

The crucial point is this: tires are a resource regardless of drive technology. Neither electromobility nor alternative fuels significantly reduce tire consumption. Even in an electrified mobility system, used tires remain a structural issue requiring long-term solutions.

Tires per year worldwide

What happens to old tires?

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In many regions, established collection and recycling systems exist for used tires. These include mechanical recycling, energy recovery, and limited forms of reuse. A large proportion of used tires are used as alternative fuel in energy-intensive industries or processed into rubber granules, which are used in asphalt, sports surfaces, or technical products.

While these measures contribute to waste reduction, they rarely lead to a true circular economy. Material recycling into high-value applications – especially back into new tires – remains the exception.

What does tire recycling really mean?

The recyclability of tires is technically very challenging. Car tires consist of a complex composite of natural and synthetic rubber, steel, textile fibers, carbon black, and a variety of chemical additives. It is precisely this diversity of materials that makes high-quality recycling difficult.

Mechanical recycling processes primarily yield rubber granules with limited applications. Chemical recycling processes such as pyrolysis or devulcanization, on the other hand, open up new perspectives: they enable the recovery of valuable materials such as oil, gas, carbon black, and steel. However, a prerequisite for a functioning recycling loop is the industrial quality of these recyclates – both technically and economically.

Market potential and future of tire recycling

Despite all the challenges, the recycling of used tires offers considerable economic potential and is expected to reach a double-digit billion-dollar figure in US dollars by 2030. Tires are generated continuously and in large quantities, regulatory pressure and raw material prices are rising, and the need for sustainable solutions is growing. Accordingly, the market for innovative tire recycling technologies is developing dynamically.

Especially where traditional recycling approaches reach their limits, new opportunities arise for scalable, integrated solutions that combine ecological and economic requirements.

Scalable recycling solutions for used tires

For years, enespa ag has been developing innovative solutions for complex recycling challenges and, following extensive research and development, is now entering a phase of technological and geographical scaling. In the field of tire pyrolysis, we have ideal prerequisites for the professional trading of Tire Pyrolysis Oil (TPO): Thanks to our global network of strategic contacts with refineries and petrochemical processors that are specifically seeking alternative hydrocarbon sources, we are able to position pyrolysis products efficiently, internationally, and with a market-oriented approach.

Our technologies are designed to provide our customers with scalable and integrated recycling solutions for end-of-life tires. We also support them with regulatory matters, such as REACH registration, the creation of complete product specifications, and documentation for ISCC and ISCC PLUS certifications.

Our activities in the field of tire pyrolysis seamlessly complement our existing portfolio, which also includes the production of AdBlue for exhaust gas purification. From our perspective, it is crucial that sustainable mobility also considers issues such as end-of-life tires – as an integral part of a functioning circular economy.