USTMA announces Tire Recycling Foundation

The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA), Washington, has formed the Tire Recycling Foundation in partnership with the Tire Industry Association (TIA), Bowie, Maryland.

The new initiative will secure funding and allocate grants for research, education, intervention and demonstration projects targeting knowledge and research gaps in the U.S. tire recycling supply chain.

USTMA says the primary goal of the Tire Recycling Foundation is to recycle 100 percent of end-of-life tires into circular, sustainable markets.

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“For the past thirty years, USTMA has advocated for sustainable end-of-life-tire management, but more work remains with only 71 percent currently recycled,” USTMA President and CEO Anne Forristall Luke says. “Through the foundation and collaboration with our newly appointed board of directors, comprised of manufacturers, dealers, recyclers and transportation experts, we’re confident we can advance our goal of 100 percent circularity.”

The Tire Recycling Foundation Board has set research initiatives to be supported with fundraising targets of $300,000 in 2025 and $2-3 million in 2026.

“With this funding, we can conduct vital research and projects to address knowledge gaps and advance tire circularity," ITA CEO Dick Gust says.

According to USTMA, the foundation will focus on accelerating the adoption of rubber-modified asphalt (RMA).

“Rubber modified asphalt delivers a trifecta of benefits: superior performance, economic efficiency and environmental sustainability,” says John Sheerin, USTMA's director of End-of-Life Tire Programs. “Perhaps most critically, its use reduces greenhouse gas emissions from improved fuel economy while also curtailing tire wear particle pollution.”

RMA extends pavement lifespan, enhances skid resistance and ride quality and reduces traffic noise, USTMA says.

“RMA represents a truly circular, sustainable solution that the Tire Recycling Foundation, along with our new board of directors, is committed to advancing industrywide,” Sheerin adds.