It has been one of the topics discussed at Signus’ annual meeting with the media, in which it shares the main management data and milestones for the year that is ending and advances the forecasts and objectives for the year that begins.
Although the figures corresponding to 2024 are not completely closed, Gabriel Leal, general director of Signus, has been able to advance some estimates that will be very close to the final ones.
He announced, for example, the number of tons of out-of-use tires managed by Signus in 2024, estimated at 215,000, which is about 10,000 more than required. The excess is due to intra-community and extra-community purchases that are not declared by importers, as well as used tires placed on the second-hand market by Authorized Treatment Centers, that is, scrapyards.
Leal highlighted that “we always go to pick up the tires from whoever calls us, even if they are our managers.” However, Signus, the non-profit entity that manages tires at the end of their useful life, requests greater control and inspection from the competent authorities.
The analysis of the management carried out in 2024, for 2025 in Signus they have made an adjustment in the structure of the Ecovalor rate and in the cost of managing out-of-use tires because their average weights have already changed the reduction of resulting costs.
The change in structure is focused on those with a diameter greater than 1,400 mm, and categories disappear that, due to size and weight, can easily enter the collection of tires with a diameter less than that measurement, which will facilitate their management, at the same time that the number of categories is reduced.
Likewise, the average weight of category N2 tires has changed, due to the evolution of passenger tire rims, which are disappearing in some sizes and increasing the sales volume of others.
More new uses for rubber powder
Apart from the management of end-of-use tires, Signus carries out permanent R&D&I work to expand the applications of the materials contained in tires. In this area, the Director of Development and Innovation, Leticia Saiz reviewed the main projects that Signus has worked on during 2024, such as Greenfu, which has the objective of developing materials made up of a thermoplastic and rubber powder from tires applicable in building and automotive, and, Perseus, to design a safe and durable pavement that reduces noise levels caused by traffic.
Saiz highlighted “the interest of many municipalities in joining the circular economy.” Precisely to facilitate local corporations in the use of urban elements made from rubber from tire recycling, the Cityre guide has been prepared in 2024, which includes the different available applications: pavements, street furniture, lane separators. bike, parking stops, bollards, etc.
And a project is also underway, Saiz explained, to develop special formulations for street paving, also with the purpose of reducing traffic noise in urban environments. Regarding this resulting pavement, as explained by expert Saiz, “it will be more durable than those currently used, which will offset the higher initial cost.”
The job for 2025
Signus will publish two new guides throughout 2025. One to disseminate this sustainable solution for urban pavements already mentioned; The other will deal with the application of materials from tires in construction and will be carried out in collaboration with the Higher Technical School of Building of the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
The pyrolysis process will be another of the main development axes, focused mainly on the evaluation of the technology used in the different projects and the results of its application to the textile fraction of tires.