The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia began to recycle tyres when the quantity of scrap tyres in the tyre cemeteries rose significantly during the past 20 years
The accumulation of these tyres posed a great danger to the environment, due to the difficulty of their decomposition and the possible fires and toxic emissions they may cause when disposed of in improper ways, stated Mrs. Sara the General Manager of the Rubber Future recycling factory in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
With the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, the focus on sustainability and professional waste management has increased. Tyre recycling activity has become part of a national strategy aimed at reducing environmental pollution and promoting a circular economy.
“In 2017,” added Mrs. Sara, “the National Centre for Waste Management (MWAN) was established, which began to regulate the sector and opened the way for local and international investors to enter the recycling field.”
In 2020 specialised companies such as “SIRC” (Saudi Investment Recycling Company), began to expand their activity to manage industrial waste, including tyres.
Agreements were signed to establish modern factories capable of producing recycled rubber that can be used in infrastructure projects such as road paving and rubber asphalt manufacturing.
Tyre recycling techniques have developed in the Kingdom, to include shredding tyres and using them as alternative fuel in cement kilns and producing granular rubber that is used in many industries such as sports flooring.
Mrs. Sara explained; “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is paying increasing attention to the tyre recycling sector, as part of its efforts to enhance environmental sustainability and achieve the goals of Vision 2030. The Kingdom seeks to reduce the negative environmental impacts, resulting from the accumulation of damaged tyres by developing policies and projects that support their recycling, and use in innovative ways.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is working seriously to develop effective policies and procedures for managing and recycling damaged tyres, with the aim of protecting the environment and achieving sustainability.
“By strengthening oversight, encouraging investment, and developing the necessary infrastructure, the Kingdom seeks to transform waste challenges into economic and environmental opportunities, clarified Mrs. Sara.
The factory is located in the Riyadh Alnargis area, twenty-three per cent of the area of the factory is occupied by the machinery line, while seventeen per cent of the area is for the tyre storage, the production line is completely imported from the United States of America, the line operates in six stages: The main shredder, wire free chip production, a granulator, colouring line and press moulds.
The tyres are cut in the first stage, the wire is separated in the second and third stages, and the powder is produced in the fourth stage.
Answering a question about the production line, Mrs. Sara, explained that the production line is 99 per cent automatic, as the production lines are designed to minimise the need for human intervention in the production process.
Raw materials are placed in the production process by labourers, and the production line is being periodically maintained by technicians. The skills that are required for workers are quality, safety and electrical skills, Rubber Future plant technicians were trained to operate and maintain the machines by the machinery manufacturer for a period of one full month. All the production line is operated by electricity, except the colouring line, which is operated by natural gas.
“The factory is supplied with scrap tyres by suppliers and tyre workshop owners, who sort and deliver them, and then valorising the tyres suitable for use, provided that the tyre is not completely damaged, so that the extracted rubber can be used,” added Mrs.Sara. “The suppliers deliver the scrap tyres to our factory for the time being, but we have a plan to recruit and train scrap tyre collectors soon.”
The Additional materials needed by the production processes are the binder, the releasing agent and the colouring paint.
When asked about the final products, Mrs. Sara explained that they are rubber matting, which is used in horse stables and outdoor gardens; rubber granulate is used in stadium flooring, running tracks and small golf courses; rubber powder is used in asphalt and stadium flooring, Steel wires are used in counterweights.
Moving on to the sales and marketing process, Mrs. Sara explained; “The products are mainly sold locally, with market demand estimated at around 50,000 tonnes per year, and I can assure you that our products helped in minimizing importation, and in saving foreign currency for the Saudi economy.
When asked about the challenges that the factory faces, Mrs Sara summarised saying; “This activity suffers greatly from the tyre black market, as cut tyres are exported abroad. Government agencies (Export Authority – National Centre for Waste Management), made great efforts to prevent the export of these products, and began regulating this activity, because of its importance to the economy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Moreover, there is governmental support for the activity, such as customs exemptions and support from the Ministry of Industry for local factories. There is also special support from the Export Authority and the National Centre for Waste Management for regular activities with the necessary certificates and permits.
“The number of factories in Saudi Arabia is about seven,” added Mrs. Sara, but the Future Rubber plantis the only factory that produces rubber granules with a complete operational cycle, starting from grinding the damaged tyre through to forming it into rubber tiles.
“We are also distinguished by the largest production capacity in the Kingdom, estimated at about 800 tons per month, also our production line being from American origin has made us unique. We are also proud of the quality of our products, which is considered the best among competitors.
As for future plans, Mrs. Sara mentioned that the Future Rubber Company also aims to expand the use of off-road tyres (OTR) with the aim of increasing production capacity.
“In light of the developments taking place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the great developments it seeks to achieve in various fields, especially the fields of environmental preservation and sports development, we see a bright future for the tyre recycling market,” added Mrs. Sara.” Especially since various institutions, such as MWAN – and the National Centre for Control of Environmental Compliance, seek to regulate all activities related to recycling and environmental preservation, which means that many local and international investors are heading to this sector.”
This goes hand in hand with the tremendous development in the sports sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where sports projects have grown in the previous period, and their growth has increased following the announcement of the Kingdom hosting the 2027 Asian Cup and the 2034 World Cup.
This does not diminish the interest of the Kingdom and the Ministry of Education in educational facilities and gaming facilities, residential development projects, the Riyadh Authority in the Green Riyadh project, and other government projects that are a rich market for the final products of recycling activity. The Kingdom is also currently considered an attractive market targeted by international investors, as it aims to be a regional market, which means opening up enormous new opportunities and markets.
