Public Funding for Protel Associates Limited

Project RR sets out to address the substantial economic and environmental issues regarding the process of recycling end of life vehicle tyres (ELT) and the drain on natural resources. Since 2006 EU legislation has banned the disposal of ELT to landfill, yet only 5% of a new vehicle tyre is currently made up of recycled rubber. This is due in part to existing technology not providing a suitable recycled raw material which would meet the required standards for new tyre production and at economically or environmentally acceptable levels. Project RR will significantly address these issues by developing a new, unique and innovative process technology that will allow the production of a commercially and economically acceptable recycled rubber raw material, that will substantially increase the volume of recycled rubber that can be included in new tyre production from 5% of the tyre weight to an expected 50%, achieved in a highly efficient, commercially acceptable and environmentally friendly way. The benefits of which will be the substantial reduction in the demands on the supply of natural rubber, the economic implications of recycling through improved efficiency & cost reduction and a production process with a positive environmental impact, all delivered in a way that current technologies to date have been unable to deliver.