Calgary Symposium Ignites Global Dialogue on Rubber Recycling.

Our organization, the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC), hosted the 2025 Rubber Recycling Symposium at Calgary’s Fairmont Palliser Hotel. The event brought together over 110 delegates from across North America and Europe to shape the future of sustainable tire management. Under the theme “Tires Reimagined: Sustainability in Motion,” the two-day event showcased cutting-edge innovations, policy developments, and collaborative strategies driving circularity across the tire and rubber sectors.

Call to action

I had the pleasure of opening the symposium with a call to action for resilience and innovation, followed by welcoming remarks from Ed Gugenheimer, CEO of Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA), the event’s Host Sponsor. Gugenheimer highlighted Alberta’s leadership in recycling, including its 98% recovery rate for regulated tires and the province’s ambitious Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rollout.

Day one featured a global perspectives panel with representatives from ETRMA, CATRA, and USTMA comparing tire recycling frameworks across Europe, Canada, and the U.S. The morning continued with a deep dive into non-mechanical recycling technologies such as pyrolysis, led by experts from Tyre Stewardship Australia and Canada’s Kal Tire.

Development and innovation

A keynote address by Stephanie Mull introduced the newly launched Tire Recycling Foundation, a U.S. initiative focused on market development and innovation. Afternoon sessions explored infrastructure applications of recycled rubber, with speakers from Dalhousie University, CRM, Pliteq, and ARMA showcasing real-world applications of rubber-modified asphalt and tire-derived aggregate. The day concluded with a sobering look at the global challenges facing the tire retreading industry, presented by TRIB’s David Stevens.

Day two shifted focus to manufacturing and materials. Executives from Michelin, Pirelli, and BKT Tires shared insights into their companies’ sustainability strategies and innovations, followed by a presentation from USTMA’s Tracey Norberg on industry efforts to identify alternatives to 6PPD, a critical tire additive.

Sustainability progress

Dr. Ivan Buslov of the Tire Industry Project (TIP) and two of his colleagues – Julie Bertolus and Josip Pervan – outlined global research efforts on tire emissions and lifecycle sustainability, while Environment Canada’s George Kendros briefed attendees on the evolving Plastics Registry and its implications for the tire sector.

The closing keynote by Fredrik Ardefors, CEO of Swedish Tyre Recycling, offered a Nordic perspective on tire recycling transformation, emphasizing transparency, innovation, and creative outreach, including a country-western song titled “The Bon Orbit Blues.” The final CEO panel, featuring leaders from CRM, Emterra, and Pliteq, delivered candid insights into market dynamics, technology trends, and the future of rubber recycling.

An optional tour of Kal Tire’s retread facility on day three capped off the event, giving attendees a firsthand look at how retreading reduces oil use and extends tire life.

The 2025 Symposium reinforced the critical role of collaboration, innovation, and policy harmonization in building a resilient and sustainable tire ecosystem. With new technologies emerging and global partnerships strengthening, the industry is poised to reimagine its role in the circular economy.