Lithuanian and international efforts detail tire recycling processes, challenges, and innovative reuse into products.
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“EkobazÄ—,” one of Lithuania’s largest recycling plants, processes tires, with manager Marina Curko-NotkuvienÄ— emphasizing the importance of recycling, noting that even heavily soiled tires can be recycled. The recycling process involves removing metal and separating textiles, with ongoing research into optimizing textile cleaning. The plant recycles 100% of used tires, producing materials like rubber granules used for sports surfaces, sound insulation, and parking lot curbs, and reported a 10000-ton output in 2024. Environmental protection authorities warn that improper tire disposal in nature incurs fines, and they encourage the public to report pollution using an interactive map. Curko-NotkuvienÄ— states that the biggest challenge is ensuring a stable supply of suitable raw materials, but tires unsuitable for mechanical recycling are used as alternative fuel in cement plants. Despite market competition, the demand for recycled tire products in Lithuania has grown significantly, with sales increasing by 113% in 2024. Internationally, in Spain, a centralized system called SIGNUS manages tire recycling, with tires being reused, turned into secondary raw materials, or used for energy production, and brands like “Basq” are creating footwear from recycled materials.
