End of Life Tyres(ELT)
1. Amount of ELT Generated and Effectively Utilized
Processing flow of ELTs
(1) Amount of ELT generated
The amount of ELT generated in Japan in 2023 was 90 million tyres, including tyres replaced and those from scrapped vehicles. This is a decrease of 1 million units from the previous year.
①
Amount of ELT generated by replacing tyres
The amount of ELT generated by replacing tyres was 78 million tyres. Due to the decline in consumer and business sentiment caused by high prices, sales of commercial tyres decreased from the previous year, and the amount of ELT generated also decreased by 1 million tyres compared to the previous year.
②
Amount of ELT generated from scrapped vehicles
The amount of ELT generated from scrapped vehicles was 12 million units. The number of scrapped vehicles remained below 3 million units for the second consecutive year, and the amount of ELT generated was the same as the previous year.
Trends in ELT generation
Tyres: millions
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The amount generated by replacing tyres ※1 | 72 | 76 | 79 | 78 |
| The amount generated from scrapped vehicles ※2 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
| Total | 85 | 90 | 91 | 90 |
Source: JATMA
Retreaded tyres are excluded because they do not become ELTs while in use and do not affect the amount of ELT generated nor effectively used. The figures in the table above do not include retreaded tyres. Other countries use a similar approach to organize their data.
(2) Effective utilization of ELTs
The amount of effectively utilized ELT in 2023 was 776,000 tons, with an effective utilization rate of 99.2%. The use of ELTs as fuel in paper mills has expanded, increasing by about 10% year-on-year and accounting for about 60% of the total effectively utilized amount. Although new entrants continue to enter the ELT pyrolysis business, its usage is still limited in terms of the total amount of ELT effectively utilized.
Trends in ELTs utilized effectively
Weight: kt
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper mills | 415 | 425 | 433 | 476 |
| Chemical plants | 96 | 112 | 136 | 113 |
| Cement plants | 69 | 73 | 81 | 67 |
| Small-sized boilers | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Tyre manufacturers' plants | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Pyrolysis facilities | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Crumb rubber | 115 | 84 | 85 | 88 |
| Material recycling | 1 | 1 | 15 | 24 |
| Steel plants | 16 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Effective utilization amount | 723 | 718 | 760 | 776 |
| Amount of ineffective final disposal | 5 | 11 | 14 | 6 |
| Effective utilization rate | 99.3% | 98.5% | 98.2% | 99.2% |
Source: JATMA
(3) Others
- Previously, the recycling rate was calculated based on estimates of the amount of ELT generated and the amount recycled, collected from separate data sources. However, this time, in order to present figures that are more in line with reality, it was decided to calculate the effective utilization rate as the proportion of the amount of effectively utilized ELT in the total amount of processed ELT.
The effective utilization rate is calculated as "effectively utilized amount" / "effectively utilized amount + ineffectively utilized final disposal amount" x 100. - For the purpose of calculating the domestic effective utilization rate, this calculation does not include exports of ELTs, and exports of cut/shredded ELTs, and imports cut/shredded ELTs.
- Plants that use ELTs as fuel continue to purchase cut/shredded ELTs from overseas, and the annual import amount for 2023 was approximately 139,200 tons, an increase of approximately 60,000 tons from the previous year and the highest level since data collection began.
2. Status of Illegal Dumping of ELTs
At the time of investigation in February 2024, there were 75 cases and 23,765 tons of illegal dumping of ELTs in Japan.
Although the entire amount was not removed, there were several cases where the amount of accumulated ELTs had decreased, resulting in a decrease in the total amount.
Transition of illegal dumping（Remaining cases）
Weight: tons
| 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case | Weight | Case | Weight | Year-on-year change | |
| Case | Weight | ||||
| 76 | 25,163 |
75 | 23,765 |
-1 | -1,398 |
Source: JATMA
Trend of illegal dumping
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illegal dumping | 27,677 | 26,991 | 26,363 | 24,499 | 25,163 | 23,765 |
| Case | 75 | 70 | 69 | 76 | 76 | 75 |
Source: JATMA
3. JATMA Support Program
To reduce illegal dumping of ELTs, JATMA has been operating a restoration support system since 2005.
In the total of 19 years, from 2005 to 2023, JATMA supported 379.26 million yen for 23 cases, and removed 2,993,013 tyres /30,117 tons of ELTs.
【Reference】Effort to Reduce
In order to promote longer lasting and lighter tyres, we publish the "Reduction Achievement Rate" calculated from the life index and weight index of the new product compared to the old product every year.
A reduction achievement rate above 100 indicates improvement, and below 100 indicates deterioration.
- Reduction Achievement Rate = Reduction Coefficient x 100
- Reduction Coefficient = Life Index / Weight Index
- Life index = (Wear life of new product based on design specification (km) / Wear life of old product based on design specification (km)) x 100
- Weight index = (weight of new product (kg) / weight of old product (kg)) x 100
In recent years, the performance required of tyres has become more diverse, such as reducing exterior noise, wet grip, rolling resistance, etc., and it is important to consider the balance between these, but by promoting longer life and lighter weight, we aim to reduce the amount of ELT generated and the amount of raw materials used.
Reduction achievement rate
| Category | Tyre Size | Classification | Reduction Achievement Rate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |||
| Passenger car tyres | 155/65R13 | Summer tyres | 144 | - | 96 | 106 | - |
| Studless tyres | - | 85 | 98 | - | - | ||
| Passenger car tyres | 175/65R14 | Summer tyres | 124 | - | 98 | 108 | - |
| Studless tyres | - | 85 | 99 | 100 | - | ||
| Passenger car tyres | 195/65R15 | Summer tyres | 114 | - | 108 | 110 | 106 |
| Studless tyres | - | 95 | 100 | - | - | ||
| Passenger car tyres | 215/45R17 | Summer tyres | 120 | - | 118 | 115 | 108 |
| Studless tyres | - | 72 | 102 | - | - | ||
| Light truck tyres | 145R12 (145/80R12) |
Summer tyres | 110 | - | - | 100 | - |
| Studless tyres | - | - | 97 | 121 | - | ||
| Light truck tyres | 185R14 (185/80R14) |
Summer tyres | 124 | - | - | 98 | - |
| Studless tyres | - | - | 97 | - | - | ||
| Light truck tyres | 205/70R16 | Summer tyres | 101 | 115 | 133 | - | - |
| Studless tyres | - | 96 | - | 122 | 116 | ||
| Truck and bus tyres | 225/80R17.5 | Summer tyres | 109 | 100 | - | 113 | - |
| Studless tyres | - | - | 111 | 100 | 120 | ||
| Truck and bus tyres | 245/70R19.5 | Summer tyres | 107 | - | - | 113 | - |
| Studless tyres | - | - | 107 | 107 | 107 | ||
| Truck and bus tyres | 11R22.5 | Summer tyres | 106 | 100 | - | 141 | - |
| Studless tyres | - | 100 | 110 | 114 | 120 | ||
Source: JATMA