Global Waste Tire Market: Supply-Demand Analysis and Prospects Research

　　Tires are annular, elastic rubber components mounted on various vehicles and machinery to provide ground contact and enable rolling. Waste tires are those that have been discarded or rendered unusable due to damage or other reasons.

　　Tires are typically mounted on metal rims, supporting the vehicle body, cushioning external impacts, ensuring contact with the road surface, and maintaining vehicle handling performance. Operating under complex and demanding conditions, tires endure various deformations, loads, forces, and extreme temperature fluctuations during use; therefore, they must exhibit high load-carrying capacity, traction, and shock-absorbing properties. At the same time, they are required to possess excellent wear resistance and flexural durability, as well as low rolling resistance and heat generation. Globally, half of all rubber consumption is devoted to tire production, underscoring the significant role tires play in rubber utilization.

　　Used tires are a recyclable resource. The level of their recycling and comprehensive utilization is one of the key indicators of a country’s economic development. As solid waste, discarded tires left in open-air stockpiles harm the environment and are often referred to as “black pollution.” Their recovery and reuse remain a global challenge. China is among the world’s largest consumers of rubber, and the scarcity of rubber resources has severely constrained the rapid growth of its rubber industry. By processing used tires into high‑performance rubber raw materials through clean, non‑polluting methods, it is possible to substitute these materials—either partially or entirely—for natural rubber.

　　In recent years, driven by the steady growth in automobile sales, the output of waste tires has maintained a consistent upward trend. According to the “In-Depth Analysis of Development Models and Industry Trend Research Report on China’s Tire Retreading Industry (2017–2022)” published by Boshi Data, global waste tire production reached 40.742 million tons in 2015, while the amount of waste tires recovered totaled 29.334 million tons.

　　At present, the global waste‑tire industry is developing unevenly: in regions and countries with advanced automotive industries, such as Europe and North America, the waste‑tire recycling rate exceeds 80%, whereas in emerging markets it still falls short of the average level.

　　While developing cutting-edge science and advanced technologies, developed countries have increasingly emphasized the utilization and valorization of waste tires. Governments worldwide have responded by enacting legislation, establishing specialized agencies, and implementing incentive policies to promote the recycling and reuse of end-of-life tires. As early as World War II, amid rubber shortages, reclaimed rubber was regarded as a strategic resource. Entering the 21st century, the rubber‑powder industry has evolved from its traditional role of “waste utilization and refurbishment” into an emerging environmentally friendly sector, with rubber‑powder production now recognized as a high‑tech, high‑potential, and promising new industry.