Norwegian tire recycling startup to build first plant in UK

Oslo – Norwegian tire recycling startup Wastefront AS has selected the UK for its first plant and is currently assessing sites for the construction of the facility.

Founded in Oslo in 2019, Wastefront has developed a process to convert end-of-life tires into commodities such as liquid hydrocarbons and carbon black.

Having recently received funding from the Norwegian national development bank, Innovation Norway, the company announced 3 July that it is aiming to start construction work "in the near future" on its first tire recycling plant which will be located in the UK.

The Oslo startup has also appointed Maria Moræus Hanssen, former deputy CEO and COO at oil and gas company Wintershall DEA, as its chair of the board.  

Other members of the senior management team include founders Inge Berge (CEO), Christian Armand Hvamstad (CSO and director), and Vegard Bringsjord (CFO).

Moræus Hanssen brings international experience from top-level positions within oil, gas and energy companies such as Hydro, Equinor, Aker and Engie, and has served as a board member of multiple Scandinavian companies, according to Wastefront.

Commenting on her appointment, Moræus Hanssen said she was confident that the company would make “a valuable contribution to a cleaner future... where end-of-life tires no longer end up in landfills.”

Handling waste locally, she went on to say, is important in bringing about circular economies and sustainable waste managements.  

“The UK is a global centre of industry, which makes it an ideal location for our first plant,” she added. 

According to Moræus Hanssen, Wastefront plans to expand across Europe as its technical solution and business concept evolves.