Waste Tyre Recycling Plant Setup Cost

Report Overview:

IMARC Group’s report, titled “Waste Tyre Recycling Plant Project Report 2025: Industry Trends, Plant Setup, Machinery, Raw Materials, Investment Opportunities, Cost and Revenue,” provides a complete roadmap for setting up a waste tyre recycling plant. It covers a comprehensive market overview to micro-level information such as unit operations involved, raw material requirements, utility requirements, infrastructure requirements, machinery and technology requirements, manpower requirements, packaging requirements, transportation requirements, etc. The waste tyre recycling project report provides detailed insights into project economics, including capital investments, project funding, operating expenses, income and expenditure projections, fixed costs vs. variable costs, direct and indirect costs, expected ROI and net present value (NPV), profit and loss account, financial analysis, etc.

What is Waste Tyre Recycling?

Waste tyre recycling is a process of remanufacturing end-of-life or discarded tyres into useful material by mechanical, thermal, or chemical processes. This reduces natural resource consumption, saves natural resources, and makes valuable products available like crumb rubber, steel, and fuel oil. Tyre recycling generates recycled rubber usable in road infrastructure, sports surface, moulded goods, and fuel. It keeps tyres from landfills and incinerators, making the process a facilitator of waste management and a circular economy system.

Waste Tyre Recycling Plant: Key Highlights

• Process Used: Pyrolysis Process
• End-use Industries: Construction, automotive, cement, energy, and rubber manufacturing
• Applications: Used in road construction, rubber mats and flooring, molded rubber products, tire-derived fuel (TDF), and sports surfaces

A pyrolysis-based waste tyre recycling plant is constructed to recycle end-of-life tyres into useful resources by thermal cracking in the absence of oxygen. In this process, tyres are charged into a pyrolysis reactor where they are thermally cracked at high temperatures to decompose the rubber into pyrolysis oil, carbon black, steel wire, and combustible gases. The plant consists of main equipment like the pyrolysis reactor, oil condenser, gas cleaning system, and steel separation unit. Tight environment controls and safety systems are used to handle emissions and regulatory compliance. The recovered materials find application in industries such as fuel production, construction, and manufacturing to promote sustainable waste management and resource recovery.

Waste Tyre Recycling Industry Outlook 2025:

Environmental issues, regulatory forces, and innovation are the primary driving factors for the waste tyre recycling market. As awareness of the environmental effects of discarded tyres continues to grow, the demand for environmentally friendly recycling solutions has increased. As per US tire manufacturers association's 2023 report, 79% of End-of-Life Tires (ELTs) were reclaimed or recycled in 2023, an 8% increase from 71% in 2021, highlighting strong progress in recycling by the industry. Governments across the globe are putting in place stronger regulations and incentives to promote recycling of tyres, including extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes. The regulations oblige tyre manufacturers to bear the cost of disposal or recycling of tyres, stimulating investments in recycling facilities. Furthermore, there is innovation in recycling technologies like pyrolysis and ambient mechanical recycling that is enhancing efficiency and economically justifying tyre recycling. The increasing need for recycled rubber in several industries such as construction, automotive, and energy, along with the increasing emphasis on a circular economy, also drives the market growth further.

Waste Tyre Recycling Market Trends and Growth Drivers:

Rising Government Initiatives

Government schemes and regulatory policies are major drivers of growth for the waste tyre recycling industry. Schemes such as India's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy and Europe's Circular Economy Action Plan are promoting higher tyre reuse and material recovery. These policies compel tyre makers and importers to increasingly take responsibility for recycling. As per a report of the industry, tyre makers in India are required to recycle 35% of 2020-21 production/import in 2022-23, expanding to 70% in 2023-24, and later to 100% by 2024-25. Such strict regulations are making firms invest in recycling facilities and new-age technology, leading to market growth for waste tyre recycling while ensuring sustainability and the circular economy.

Rising ELT Generation

The growing stock of End-of-Life Tires (ELTs) is an important growth contributor to the market for waste tyre recycling. According to USTMA's report in 2023, over 250 million ELTs are produced every year in the United States alone. This growing inventory of used tyres generates a need for effective recycling technologies to effectively dispose of them. As the volume of ELTs keeps growing, demand for sustainable recycling technology and infrastructure is more urgent. Recycling ELTs not only decreases environmental pollution but also contributes to the circular economy by transforming waste into useful resources. Increasing volumes of ELTs are stimulating additional investment in recycling plants and technologies, fueling market growth.

Latest Industry Developments:

• December 2024: Trek Bicycle and Liberty Tire Recycling both unveiled America's first-ever national bicycle tire recycling program. Liberty Tire Recycling oversees the entire recycling process so that all the regions of tires are properly utilized for landscaping materials, rubber asphalt, running trails, and playing fields.
• November 2024: Contec S.A. has successfully commissioned its third and fourth pyrolysis lines, significantly boosting its capacity. This growth will enable the company to triple its production in the next year, showing its growth orientation, technology advancement, and environmental sustainability.
• October 2024: Tyrecycle entered a strategic alliance with Alcoa Australia to recycle large off-the-road mining truck tires, an achievement towards sustainable mining practice and tire waste management.
• July 2024: Michelin has officially opened a new factory at its Olsztyn facility in Poland to produce micronized rubber powder from used tires. Operated by Michelin's North American subsidiary, the factory is the company's first beyond North America with the capability, its global recycling operations.
• July 2023: VTTI pledged $43 million for investment in Wastefront, a tyre recycling firm, to enable construction of its Sunderland, UK, end-of-life tyre recycling plant. The capital will fund the first phase of the project as it enables a shift towards greener management of waste in the region.

Leading Waste Tyre Recycling Manufacturers:

Leading recycling companies in the global waste tyre recycling industry include specialized recycling companies and environmental technology firms with large-scale production capabilities. Key players include

• Liberty Tire Recycling
• GENAN HOLDING A/S
• ResourceCo
• GRP LTD
• Lehigh Technologies, Inc.
• Entech Inc

all of which operate large-scale facilities and serve end-use sectors such as construction, automotive, cement, energy, and rubber manufacturing.

Waste Tyre Recycling Plant Setup Requirements

Detailed Process Flow:

The recycling process is a multi-step operation that involves several unit operations, material handling, and quality checks. Below are the main stages involved in the waste tyre recycling recycling process flow:

• Unit Operations Involved
• Mass Balance and Raw Material Requirements
• Quality Assurance Criteria
• Technical Tests

Key Considerations for Establishing a Waste Tyre Recycling Plant:

Setting up a waste tyre recycling plant requires evaluating several key factors, including technological requirements and quality assurance. Some of the critical considerations include:

• Site Selection: The location must offer easy access to key raw materials such as end-of-life tyres, steel wires, and textile reinforcements. Proximity to target markets will help minimize distribution costs. The site must have robust infrastructure, including reliable transportation, utilities, and waste management systems. Compliance with local zoning laws and environmental regulations must also be ensured.​
• Plant Layout Optimization: The layout should be optimized to enhance workflow efficiency, safety, and minimize material handling. Separate areas for raw material storage, production, quality control, and finished goods storage must be designated. Space for future expansion should be incorporated to accommodate business growth.​
• Equipment Selection: High-quality, corrosion-resistant machinery tailored for waste tyre recycling production must be selected. Essential equipment includes shredders, granulators, pyrolysis reactors, steel separation units, and storage tanks for recovered materials. All machinery must comply with industry standards for safety, efficiency, and reliability.​
• Raw Material Sourcing: Reliable suppliers must be secured for raw materials like end-of-life tyres, steel wires, and textile reinforcements to ensure consistent production quality. Minimizing transportation costs by selecting nearby suppliers is essential. Sustainability and supply chain risks must be assessed, and long-term contracts should be negotiated to stabilize pricing and ensure a steady supply.
• Safety and Environmental Compliance: Safety protocols must be implemented throughout the recycling process of waste tyre. Advanced monitoring systems should be installed to detect leaks or deviations in the process. Effluent treatment systems are necessary to minimize environmental impact and ensure compliance with emission standards.​
• Quality Assurance Systems: A comprehensive quality control system should be established throughout production. Analytical instruments must be used to monitor product concentration, purity, and stability. Documentation for traceability and regulatory compliance must be maintained.

Project Economics:

​Establishing and operating a waste tyre recycling plant involves various cost components, including:​

• Capital Investment: The total capital investment depends on plant capacity, technology, and location. This investment covers land acquisition, site preparation, and necessary infrastructure.
• Equipment Costs: Equipment costs, such as those for shredders, granulators, pyrolysis reactors, steel separation units, and storage tanks for recovered materials, represent a significant portion of capital expenditure. The scale of production and automation level will determine the total cost of machinery.​
• Raw Material Expenses: Raw materials, including end-of-life tyres, steel wires, and textile reinforcements, are a major part of operating costs. Long-term contracts with reliable suppliers will help mitigate price volatility and ensure a consistent supply of materials.​
• Infrastructure and Utilities: Costs associated with land acquisition, construction, and utilities (electricity, water, steam) must be considered in the financial plan.
• Operational Costs: Ongoing expenses for labor, maintenance, quality control, and environmental compliance must be accounted for. Optimizing processes and providing staff training can help control these operational costs.​
• Financial Planning: A detailed financial analysis, including income projections, expenditures, and break-even points, must be conducted. This analysis aids in securing funding and formulating a clear financial strategy. 

Capital Expenditure (CapEx) and Operational Expenditure (OpEx) Analysis:

Capital Investment (CapEx): Machinery costs account for the largest portion of the total capital expenditure. The cost of land and site development, including charges for land registration, boundary development, and other related expenses, forms a substantial part of the overall investment. This allocation ensures a solid foundation for safe and efficient plant operations.

Operating Expenditure (OpEx): In the first year of operations, the operating cost for the waste tyre recycling plant is projected to be significant, covering raw materials, utilities, depreciation, taxes, packing, transportation, and repairs and maintenance. By the fifth year, the total operational cost is expected to increase substantially due to factors such as inflation, market fluctuations, and potential rises in the cost of key materials. Additional factors, including supply chain disruptions, rising consumer demand, and shifts in the global economy, are expected to contribute to this increase.

Capital Expenditure Breakdown:

Operational Expenditure Breakdown:

Profitability Analysis:

Report Coverage:

Report Customization

While we have aimed to create an all-encompassing waste tyre recycling plant project report, we acknowledge that individual stakeholders may have unique demands. Thus, we offer customized report options that cater to your specific requirements. Our consultants are available to discuss your business requirements, and we can tailor the report's scope accordingly. Some of the common customizations that we are frequently requested to make by our clients include:

• The report can be customized based on the location (country/region) of your plant.
• The plant’s capacity can be customized based on your requirements.
• Plant machinery and costs can be customized based on your requirements.
• Any additions to the current scope can also be provided based on your requirements.

Why Buy IMARC Reports?

• The insights provided in our reports enable stakeholders to make informed business decisions by assessing the feasibility of a business venture.
• Our extensive network of consultants, raw material suppliers, machinery suppliers and subject matter experts spans over 100+ countries across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Africa, and the Middle East.
• Our cost modeling team can assist you in understanding the most complex materials. With domain experts across numerous categories, we can assist you in determining how sensitive each component of the cost model is and how it can affect the final cost and prices.
• We keep a constant track of land costs, construction costs, utility costs, and labor costs across 100+ countries and update them regularly.
• Our client base consists of over 3000 organizations, including prominent corporations, governments, and institutions, who rely on us as their trusted business partners. Our clientele varies from small and start-up businesses to Fortune 500 companies.
• Our strong in-house team of engineers, statisticians, modeling experts, chartered accountants, architects, etc. has played a crucial role in constructing, expanding, and optimizing sustainable manufacturing plants worldwide.