Old tyres could be used to lower emissions at a Michelin tyre plant under plans for a new £14 million facility.
Michelin has teamed up with Suffolk-based Murfitts Industries for a project to create a materials recovery facility at the tyre manufacturer’s factory on Campbell Road in Stoke-on-Trent.
If planning permission is granted, the new plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2026 and to create 16 to 18 full-time jobs.
The plant, on a former combined heat and regeneration site, will recover energy and raw materials from end-of-life tyres, which will be used directly to power Michelin’s onsite production, reducing CO2 emissions by 1,500 tonnes per year.
Michelin will supply Murfitts, a tyre collection, recycling and reprocessing firm, with 12,500 tonnes of end-of-life tyres per year, the equivalent of 1.35 million car tyres. Michelin says the plant’s capacity would be more than enough to reprocess a pair of tyres from each of the 602,000 cars currently registered in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.
Mark Murfitt, Founder of Murfitts Industries, said: “We believe this plant could be a breakthrough in the life cycle of a tyre. It moves tyre recycling on from recovering energy and material for other uses to being able to feed it directly back into factories for new tyre production.
“Our core ethos at Murfitts has always been that end-of-life tyres are a valuable resource and we need to do all we can to maximise the use of the energy and materials within them.
“We have been developing our pyrolysis process for a number of years and our results now show we can produce material from end-of-life tyres which can perform better than the virgin equivalent for some applications. This plant will be a win-win for the tyre industry, the local and national economy and the environment.”
The new plant will use pyrolysis, a way of breaking down tyres through thermal decomposition without oxygen. This produces recovered carbon black which can be used for products including new tyres and tyre pyrolysis oil, which can be used for other materials and for alternative fuels, reducing the need for virgin petroleum feedstock.
Steam generated from the process will be supplied directly to the Michelin factory. This will replace the natural gas currently used to create steam for the curing phase of tyre production, reducing the need for fossil fuels.
Christina Peloquin, Site Director at Michelin UK, said: “This is a really exciting project which reduces our environmental impact at the same time as helping us stay competitive by lowering our energy costs.
“The team has worked exceptionally hard on this project, and we’re looking forward to welcoming Murfitts to our Stoke-on-Trent site.”
Maria Röttger, CEO and President of Michelin Europe North said: “At Michelin, we see every challenge as a chance to lead positive change—and end-of-life tyres are no exception. As shapers, innovators, and pioneers of sustainable mobility, Michelin is committed to transforming the way tyres are handled at every stage of their life cycle.
“Through our deep expertise and forward-thinking approach, we are co-building a robust recycling ecosystem that redefines what has previously been possible. This project with Murfitts Industries is a powerful reflection of Michelin’s enduring commitment to sustainability and responsible leadership in the tyre and rubber industry.”
The planning application has been submitted by Murfitts and a decision on whether to grant approval is expected to be made in the coming weeks.
