TSA announces $1 million research fund

TYRE Stewardship Australia (TSA) has announced it will pour more than $1 million in to a research and development fund to support projects aimed at improving Australia's recycling of tyre-derived materials.

The fund aims to invest in projects that lead to higher sales of tyre-derived product that is made by local tyre recyclers and manufacturers.

This includes advancing innovative technologies in Australia, keeping and attracting expertise to Australia, supporting growth of skills and capacity of local technologies in regards to end of life tyres, and sharing the results of their research with the wider tyre industry.

The research fund is being derived into two separate streams, called the project stream and the scholarship stream.

TSA says the project stream will go towards supporting projects aimed at increasing Australian use of tyre-derived recycled material that is currently available, such as crumbed rubber, rubber granules and shredded tyres.

This recycled material can be used in applications from road construction and playground surfacing to adhesives and binders, and even as an additive into explosives.

One million dollars of funding will go towards the project stream, which is raised via a levy of 25 cents on every new tyre sold in Australia.

The scholarship scheme will provide $150,000 for future PhD research into new applications and technologies that can benefit the tyre industry and its products.

There are two separate scholarships worth $75,000, and PhD students who want to apply for the scholarship must do so by December 16.

TSA CEO Matt Genever said that the new funding scheme was critical to the advancement of TSA's goals.

“The tyre recycling industry in Australia has significant capacity to manage end-of-life tyres but it is constrained by poor local markets for its end products,” he said. “Only by opening up new markets and seeing a considerable increase in demand will the industry reach its real potential.

“The launch of the Tyre Stewardship Research Fund represents the largest investment to-date in support of developing markets for tyre-derived products. This funding reflects the significant financial contribution being made by TSA members toward achieving sustainable tyre recycling in Australia,” Mr Genever said.

Started in mid-2014, the tyre stewardship program is managed by representatives from across the tyre supply chain, including manufacturers, retailers, recyclers and collectors, and is backed by the Australian Motor Industry Federation and the Minerals Council of Australia.