Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group and Mitsui & Co. have announced the formation of a joint venture aimed at advancing mining tire recycling solutions for mining regions around the world.

At a time when many mines are striving to act on ESG commitments, the collaboration will support burgeoning demand for solutions to handle end-of-life mining tires in ways that lead to the best and highest use of recycled rubber products and promote a circular economy.

“Mines are challenging themselves to demonstrate environmental stewardship, and yet in many regions, sustainable OTR tire recycling solutions aren’t yet available,” Kale Tire’s Mining Tire Group senior vice president Dan Allan said.

“Mitsui’s global reach, mining experience and commitment to affecting positive change gives us a path to scale solutions so we can reach many more mines much more quickly and help solve this enormous environmental challenge.”

In addition to providing mining tire management and supply at more than 150 mine sites across five continents, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group offers a range of sustainability solutions to help mines extend tire life, divert scrap and reduce their carbon footprint.

One of those solutions is a thermal conversion OTR tire recycling facility in Chile, where scrap ultra-class tires are converted to their base elements (carbon black, oil and steel) for reuse. Virtually 100 per cent of the tire can be reused.

Among Mitsui’s expansive global operating segments are mineral and metal resources, chemicals, energy, iron and steel products, and machinery and infrastructure. With an aim to promote sustainability and realise a circular economy, Mitsui is focusing its investment in the mining industry on environmental solutions.

Both Mitsui and Kal Tire recognise a growing demand for mining tire recycling and recycled rubber products, specifically for carbon black and rCB.

“We are pleased to announce that Kal Tire and Mitsui will be starting a collaboration in the mining tire recycling business,” Mitsui Performance Materials Business Unit chief operating officer Hiroshi Kakiuchi said.

“Waste tires currently piled up at mining sites are becoming more urgent and increasingly an issue for mining companies these days, and we are proud to be able to provide a real and sustainable recycling solution together with our partner.”

Kal Tire’s thermal conversion recycling facility in Chile is the first operating facility of its kind, and the two organisations aim to collaborate on commercialising the plant starting early 2023. The Chilean plant provides the foundation as the joint venture pursues opportunities to bring OTR tire recycling solutions to mining regions around the world—leaning on Kal Tire’s technology and service to mines, and Mitsui’s experience with chemical and engineering innovation, downstream markets and as shareholders and stakeholders inside mining organisations.

Together, the organisations will help companies understand the value of mining tire recycling and act on ESG commitments.

“We’re seeing far greater uptake from customers when they explore ESG, including recycling, and we’re also seeing more interest in carbon black solutions from manufacturers,” Allan said.

“We’ve invested significantly in a solution at the top of the recycling hierarchy because we’re committed to solving our customers’ challenges, and Mitsui is the ideal partner to scale, evolve and invest in mining tire recycling so it can become a standalone industry that meets demand and inspires a greener future.”

Kal Tire is one of Canada’s largest independent tire dealers and one of North America’s largest commercial tire dealers with warehouse facilities strategically located across Canada servicing over 250 Kal Tire retail and commercial stores. Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group is an international leader in mining tire service and supply, operating on more than 150 mine sites across five continents. The company owns and operates six OTR retreading facilities located in Canada, the United Kingdom, West Africa, Chile and Mexico. Kal Tire employs more than 6,500 team members.

For more information on Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, click here.

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (8031: JP) is a global trading and investment company with a diversified business portfolio that spans approximately 63 countries in Asia, Europe, North, Central & South America, The Middle East, Africa and Oceania. Mitsui has about 5,500 employees and deploys talent around the globe to identify, develop, and grow businesses in collaboration with a global network of trusted partners. Mitsui has built a strong and diverse core business portfolio covering the Mineral and Metal Resources, Energy, Machinery and Infrastructure, and Chemicals industries. Leveraging its strengths, Mitsui has further diversified beyond its core profit pillars to create multifaceted value in new areas, including innovative Energy Solutions, Healthcare & Nutrition and through a strategic focus on high- growth Asian markets. This strategy aims to derive growth opportunities by harnessing some of the world’s main mega-trends: sustainability, health & wellness, digitalization and the growing power of the consumer. Mitsui has a long heritage in Asia, where it has established a diverse and strategic portfolio of businesses and partners that gives it a strong differentiating edge, provides exceptional access for all global partners to the world’s fastest growing region and strengthens its international portfolio.

For more information on Mitsui & Co’s businesses, click here.

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