Rubber hits the road for circular tyre plan

GEELONG family businesses are at the forefront of an Australia-first recycling scheme to reduce the burden of agricultural tyres in local landfill.

International manufacturer Ascenco Tyres will contribute a voluntary levy to its Australian sales towards development of products and technologies that reduces their environmental impact.

The tyre maker aims to make its products net-zero and create a circular economy for the products.

Family-owned Geelong wholesaler Australian Tyre Traders (ATT) distributes Ascenso products across Australia and marked the new agreement with North Geelong retailer Associated Cold Tread Tyres last week.

While similar recycling plans are common for other tyre types such as passenger vehicles, the new agreement is the first of its kind for agricultural tyres.

City of Greater Geelong deputy mayor Trent Sullivan said the international partnership was a vote of confidence in Geelong businesses.

“This is a push in the right direction in terms of how we want to look; we want to be smart and innovative when it comes to our traditional manufacturing, and our traditional industrial and agricultural businesses,” he said.

“To have this first launch right here, at a family business of 52 years, is incredible.

“It shows the importance of what we’re doing here, that people want to be in Geelong and people want to be investing in Geelong, and that we still has a reputation as a leader in Australia’s economy.”

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA), which oversees the national sustainability scheme, says that less than 15 per cent of the estimated 37,000 tonnes of off-road tyres consumed in the agricultural sector each year is recovered as a valuable resource.

The Ascenco deal will also apply to the company’s products for the construction, material handling and forestry sectors.

ATT managing director Shane Morrissy said the deal was an important step towards establishing a national circular economy for tyres.

“Practical decisions like tyre choice can now help Australian private and public business reach their own net carbon targets,” he said.

TSA chief executive officer Lina Goodman said the recovered materials had several potential uses, such as for roads, pavement, sport courts and agricultural products.

“Developing more end-market solutions such as these will stimulate sustainable resource recovery efforts and reduce stockpiling or on-site burials of (off-road) tyres.”