High-Value Tire Utilization Systems: In Germany 2024 (tonnage) as of October 2025

Waste Tire Disposal in Germany: Challenges and Opportunities

According to current figures from the German Rubber Industry Association (wdk), around 100.000 tons of used tires remain undocumented in Germany each year. This portion escapes the regulated recycling process and thus represents a significant loss for the circular economy. It is suspected that many of these tires are exported without oversight or disposed of under substandard conditions.

Recycling figures show that the material use of used tires – for example, in the form of rubber granules, rubber powder, or secondary raw materials – is already twice as high as thermal recycling. It is therefore all the more crucial to significantly reduce the proportion of undocumented used tires.

The ZARE initiative is therefore advocating for clear legal frameworks, mandatory recording of quantities and whereabouts, and the consistent promotion of certified disposal methods. Only if used tires are collected, sorted, and recycled by demonstrably certified specialist companies under controlled conditions can valuable resources be kept in circulation, environmental pollution avoided, and transparency in the waste management market ensured. ZARE partner companies stand for certified quality, traceability and a sustainable circular economy.

Read the here Press release from wdk

Learn More:

• Tire Pyrolysis Technology & ELT Conversion
  → https://kleanindustries.com/products/tire-pyrolysis/
• Recovered Carbon Black (rCB Applications)
  → https://kleanindustries.com/products/recovered-carbon-black/
• Waste-to-Energy & Circular Economy Projects
  → https://kleanindustries.com/projects/
• Plastic & Rubber Recycling Technologies
  → https://kleanindustries.com/solutions/
• Global Tire Recycling Market Insights
  → https://kleanindustries.com/insights/

Unlock Full Value from Used Tyres with Klean Industries

Germany’s used tire recycling system demonstrates a key reality: high utilization rates do not always equal maximum value creation.

With:

• ~600,000 tonnes of used tyres generated annually
• Over 68% materially recycled into secondary products
• More than 90% total recovery (including energy use)

Germany has built one of the most efficient tire recycling systems globally. However, a significant share of tyres is still directed toward lower-value applications, such as:

• Tire-derived fuel (TDF) in cement kilns
• Basic rubber granulate and filler materials

Klean Industries enables the transition from utilization → value optimization:

• Advanced tire pyrolysis systems producing fuels, recovered carbon black, and gas
• Upgrading low-value outputs into high-performance industrial materials
• Integration with refinery, chemical, and manufacturing markets
• Development of fully circular tire-to-tire and tire-to-fuel ecosystems
• Proven expertise scaling beyond traditional recycling models

As global markets evolve, the next competitive advantage lies in: maximizing value per tonne—not just recovery rates.

Contact Klean Industries to upgrade your tire recycling value chain » GO.