Develop impact tool Upcycling Rubber Waste – NBR

New Born Rubber (NBR) is working on research and innovation in rubber recycling and has developed a rubber product that can be recycled multiple times. This creates a circular product that can prevent incineration, resulting in lower CO2 emissions. Moreover, even after recycling, the quality of the product remains identical or even higher than the original quality, which is also called ” upcycling“. This allows the product to be used for products normally made from primary raw materials, preventing even more CO2 emissions.

The recycling of rubber products represents one of the most challenging problems facing our society. Currently, 7 million tires are discarded in the Netherlands every year. The vast majority of used rubber is now incinerated, which is bad for the environment. In addition, the rubber industry faces a shortage of raw materials.

To address this issue, a circular chain project has been established in which Ecoras is acting as process facilitator and consultant. The value chain consists of New Born Rubber, Hecmar Aslon and Donkergroep. The company Hecmar Aslon produces durable rubber play floors, which are installed on playgrounds by Donkergroep. The rubber consists of granulated secondary materials, but unfortunately, after wear and tear, these floors cannot be recycled and are burned for energy generation. This means that the production chain is not circular.

Newborn Rubber (NBR) is working on research and innovation in this area and has developed a rubber product that can be recycled as many times, thanks in part to a unique recycling process. This creates a circular product that avoids multiple incinerations and therefore has lower CO2 emissions. Moreover, even after recycling, the quality of the product remains identical or even higher than the original quality, which is also called “upcycling.” This allows the product to be used for products normally made from primary raw materials, thus avoiding even more CO2 emissions.

Structure

The analysis started with establishing the current production chain by mapping it. A new scenario was then developed in which NBR is added to the rubber value chain. The impact of different types of rubber, energy consumption of recycling processes and processing methods of rubber waste in the Netherlands were investigated.

Result

The study showed that a significant CO2 emission reduction can be achieved by integrating NBR into the production chain of Hecmar Aslon and Donkergroup. Thus, it was concluded that a CO2 emission reduction of about 65% can be achieved in the chain.

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