Mining Tire Recycling

Driven by a commitment to solve our customers’ biggest environmental challenge—scrap tires—Kal Tire set out to develop a mining tire recycling solution that could do more for mines and communities than traditional shredding.

As a company that sells, manages and repairs mining tires, several years ago, one of the biggest issues Kal Tire saw coming forward was the disposal of end-of-life tires. What to do with scrap tires has long been a significant concern for mines, but for many operations, stockpiling has been the only option. Recycling giant earthmover tires is complex: tires can weigh 4 tonnes and many mines are far from major centres, but Kal Tire committed to investing in a solution.

Several years ago, as Kal Tire began to explore mining tire recycling options beyond shredding, Chile became one of the first countries to move ahead with legislation around end-of-life mining tire disposal.

Chile is home to six of the 10 largest copper mines in the world and nearly 500,000 tonnes of scrap tires. Large hauling equipment calls for ultra-class tires, and both mines and government wanted to create a greener future. Kal Tire has been serving customers in Chile for nearly 20 years, and so the Chilean government’s legislation discussions became the impetus for Kal Tire to begin developing a mining tire recycling solution that would first be used in Chile.

Could we develop an effective way to recycle ultra-class tires? Could we do more than simply shredding? Could we somehow create a circular economy by giving mines a way to reuse a tire’s original materials?

With many more questions and learning—and a tremendous investment in innovation—in 2020 we proudly opened a thermal conversion recycling facility in Antofagasta, a port community in the heart of Chile’s mining industry.

This thermal conversion approach, once known as pyrolysis, decomposes organic tire materials using heat in the absence of oxygen, and returns tires to their original materials: fuel oil, steel wire and carbon black. We then purify to ensure 100 per cent of the tire can be reused—creating a circular economy our stakeholders so wanted to achieve.

With the capability to recycle 20 tonnes a day, we look forward to doing our part to make an impact in Chile for years to come.

In building this innovative facility in Chile, Kal Tire wanted to do the right things right. Our Chile team had three guiding principles:

Environmental Standards

Our thermal conversion process has been designed to exceed the world’s most stringent environmental emission standards.

Safety

To follow the highest standards of fire safety at the plant, Kal Tire has installed:

• 250 cubic-metre water reservoir
• Seven water cannons
• Infrared sensors
• F500, a special fire encapsulation ingredient

Adaptability to Different Regions

Kal Tire is exploring how thermal conversion end products, such as alternative fuels, could meet local standards and demands in regions such as Australia, Colombia, South Africa and the UK.  

Now, as other jurisdictions move toward mining tire recycling legislation, Kal Tire is exploring opportunities to bring our thermal conversion technology to customers around the world. In 2022, Kal Tire announced the formation of a joint venture with Mitsui & Co., a global corporate group focusing on innovation and sustainability. This joint venture is aimed at advancing mining tire recycling solutions for mining regions around the world.