AZuR Founder Launches Joint Tire Recycling Project in Germany

The founder of AZuR has launched a joint tire recycling project in Germany, known as the ReKuWi initiative, which aims to create a closed-loop tire economy through take-back, retreading, reuse, and recycling. The 24-month project, coordinated by CGW GmbH, brings together five companies from Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia tire value chain, including Gummi Berger Hans Berger GmbH, Reifen Gruppe Ruhr, Detection-X GmbH, Bear-Machines GmbH, and Reifenhaus Caspar Wrede GmbH. These companies will combine their expertise in tire collection, distribution, automated inspection, tire-processing machinery, and retreading/reprofiling to develop a certified take-back system, modern technology for automated tire detection, sorting, and testing, and commercial distribution channels for used tires. The project also includes a joint information campaign and employee training to increase acceptance of the circular economy within the industry. According to CGW, one-fifth of scrap tires in North Rhine-Westphalia end up in illegal disposal or export, despite still containing usable mileage, raw materials, and economic value. The project aims to make the circular economy for tires in the region economically attractive and secure sustainable jobs. Peter Luedorf, spokesman for the project, stated that together, they are making the circular economy for tires in NRW economically attractive and securing sustainable jobs in the region.