Australian tyre recycler Green Distillation Technologies, which has developed world- first technology that turns old tyres into oil, carbon and steel, has signed an agreement worth up to $50 million to establish up to five tyre recycling plants in South Africa.
“The growth in the waste to energy sector is causing a corresponding increase in the regulatory framework and the subsequent need for legal specialists,” lawyer Kim Glassborow of G&B Lawyers told the National Energy from Waste conference hosted by the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association held in Canberra recently.
The first group of school children to visit the Green Distribution Technologies tyre recycling plant at Warren in Western New South Wales, were able to see first-hand how the Australian world first process is able to turn end-of-life tyres into oil, carbon and steel.
An agency of the EU is investigating the environmental impact from the use of crumb rubber granules with most of the material coming from end-of-life recycled tyres.
The European Chemicals Agency, ECHA, an agency of the EU has established a time table of the steps they are taking, which is driven by health concerns from the use crumb rubber on sporting fields or children’s’ playgrounds, as well as emissions from using the material as furnace fuel.
They have particularly highlighted their concern at the presence of the carcinogenic PAH or Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.
Tyre recycler Green Distillation Technologies, which operates a processing plant at Warren in Western New South Wales and is in the capital fund raising stage for another in Toowoomba, Southern Queensland, will conduct the first industrial trials of a revolutionary new thermoelectric device from the United States which converts heat to electric power.
“Crumbed rubber and the purposes to which it is being used could be a future environmental disaster that will need to be cleaned up at some period by the next generation: That’s the considered opinion of our COO, Trevor Bayley.
“It’s not something that I’m on my soapbox about, but from everything that I’ve seen I challenge anyone who considers the facts to reach an alternative opinion”.
This article is by Professor Linda Chalker-Scott from the Department of Horticulture Washington State University who is regarded as an expert in the use of crumb rubber as a garden mulch,
Although the practice is not widespread in Australia her research and remarks are relevant to the use of crumb rubber in Australia in playing fields, playgrounds and golf course pathways.
Like many people who are involved in recycling, Trevor Bayley the Chief Operating Officer of Green Distillation Technologies, has great concerns that many things we are doing today will have future serious environmental consequences.
This thought was sparked by a story of a South African company that is taking the treads from truck tyres that are being re-treaded and grinding it into crumb rubber which is then made into rubber mats and carpet underlay for world-wide sale.
In this blog, to focus on the future problems caused by this form of recycling, we move the clock forward ten years from now to 2029….
The decision by the Queensland Government to not support a Resource Recovery Grant for the proposed Toowoomba tyre recycling plant has placed the project in jeopardy according to Green Distillation Technologies Chief Operating Officer Trevor Bayley.
Bringing their first tyre recycling plant at Warren, New South Wales up to full production is a priority for Green Distillation Technologies following the recent awarding of Environmental Permission by the New South Wales authorities.
It has been drawn to our attention that in our media release of 27 May we inadvertently stated that the New South Wales Environment Licence, which was issued to Green Distillation Technologies, was under a new regulation.
This was incorrect as it was actually issued under the existing regulation.
We apologise for this error and the purpose of this correction is to put the record straight for the future.
Craig Dunn, Chief Operating Officer, Green Distillation Technologies
