Hankook launches circular ‘tire-to-tire’ consortium

Daejeon, South Korea – Hankook Tire & Technology is leading a consortium* of 12 companies and institutes in South Korea to advance a ‘tire-to-tire’ circular economy model for tire production in the country.

The Korean tire maker held a ‘kick-off’ meeting for the project at its technology centre in Daejeon on 1 Nov, with the aim to “extend material-recovery rates” from end-of-life tires (ELTs).

The project, which includes synthetic rubber suppliers Kumho Petrochemical and LG Chem, aims to design innovative upcycling processes for materials from ELTs, Hankook said 6 Nov.

“The collective will aim to showcase the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of a recycling process of ELTs in Korea,” the tire group added.

The consortium will also seek to establish a stable supply-chain for sustainable raw materials obtained from upcycling technologies.

The project will cover waste tire collection & sorting, pyrolysis, refining of materials, use in tire production and 'smart disposal'.

Hankook intends to seek support from government and affiliated organisations to accelerate the development of standardised technologies and processes in these areas.

The move is also aligned with Korea’s target of CO2 emission cuts by 2030, Hankook added.

The aim is to deliver “a more sustainable value-chain for the industry”, by replacing conventional petrochemical-based raw materials with “high-quality secondary raw material,” said Bonhee Ku, Hankook CTO.