Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, the leading international mining tyre supply and management partner, and Mitsui & Co, a global corporate group focusing on innovation and sustainability, have announced the formation of a joint venture aimed at advancing mining tyre recycling solutions for mining regions around the world.
The statement says: “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 tyres 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 tyre recycling solutions aren’t yet available,” says Dan Allan, Senior Vice President, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group.
He adds: “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 tyre 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 tyre life, divert scrap and reduce their carbon footprint. One of those solutions is a thermal conversion OTR tyre recycling facility in Chile, where scrap ultra-class tyres are converted to their base elements (carbon black, oil and steel) for reuse. Virtually 100% of the tyre 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 realize a circular economy, Mitsui is focusing its investment in the mining industry on environmental solutions.
Both Mitsui and Kal Tire recognize a growing demand for mining tyre 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 tyre recycling business,” says Hiroshi Kakiuchi, COO, Performance Materials Business Unit, Mitsui & Co Ltd. “Waste tyres 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 organizations aim to collaborate on commercializing the plant starting in early 2023. The Chilean plant provides the foundation as the joint venture pursues opportunities to bring OTR tyre 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 organizations. Together, the organizations say they will help companies understand the value of mining tyre 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,” says Allan. “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 tyre recycling so it can become a standalone industry that meets demand and inspires a greener future.”
About Kal Tire
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.
About Mitsui & Co.
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.
