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BEST TYRE RECYCLING RESEARCH PROJECT BEST TYRE DERIVED RECYCLED PRODUCT The Blackcycle Project was a clear winner in the tyre recycling research category MICHELIN PROJECTS RECOGNISED IN TWO AWARDS Michelin’s tyres containing a high level of rCB took centre stage on the Michelin stand at Futurmotive Michelin was another significant winner in the 2023 Recircle Awards, with the French tyre manufacturer winning in two of the ca- tegories. The first of these successes was in the cate- gory of Best Tyre Recycling Research Project, which was won by the Michelin-led consor- tium Blackcycle BlackCycle is an EU funded project related to technology and raw materials under the area of “Raw materials innovation for the circular economy: sustainable processing, reuse, re- cycling and recovery schemes.” The BlackCy- cle project focuses on End-of-Life tyres (ELT) and is an attempt to construct a circular and sustainable model for their treatment. BlackCycle is developing the necessary te- chnology for the revaluation of ELT, trans- forming them into raw materials and favou- ring their reincorporation into the industrial sector. The project not only contributes to the recycling and recovery of tyres, but also promotes cooperation between partners and involves stakeholders across the entire end of life tyres value chain. Within BlackCycle’s objectives is the need to report about the innovative production of raw materials, and to build the EU knowledge base of primary and secondary raw materials by feeding into the EC Raw Materials Infor- mation System. In this way, BlackCycle is ex- pected to produce data and new information regarding End-of-Life Tyres as a resource for new raw materials for the building new tyres. Michelin’s second award was in the Best Tyre Derived Recycled Product category where the company was recognised for the com- pany’s achievement in getting tyres contai- ning a high level of rCB approved for road use in the EU. This was achieved at the end of 2022 when Michelin presented two tyres, one for use on cars and the other for use on buses, containing 48% and 58% of sustaina- ble materials respectively. Approved for road use, these tyres have performance levels strictly identical to current tyres. The development of these tyres has been achieved as a result of multiple racing tyre developments such as use in Moto-e and at the Le Mans 24h race and other events. The demand from the tyre industry for rCB is ex- pected to enable capacity building that will in turn help the industry to reach sustainability and circularity targets. Michelin’s success in creating racing tyres with as much as 63% sustainable materials were highlighted on the Michelin stand at Fu- turmotive Expo and talks where the Recircle Awards Ceremony was held. P. XVI