Mining companies need to make plans on how to organise end-of-life or recycling for critical wearable equipment such as tyres earlier in their planning processes, attendees heard at CIM 2022 on Tuesday.

Jurisdictions are increasingly looking at the issue and saying it is no longer acceptable to just "bury" the issue, so mining needs to start looking at real solutions,  Dan Allan,  SVP at Kal Tire's Mining Tire Group, told the conference.

"One message I would have for miners is that this end-of-life tyre problem shouldn't come at the end of the process, it needs to come at the operational side," said Allan. "It is too often delayed until the end of life of mine, when you will find yourself with a  problem. Miners need to look at this at the operational stage - that's part of our future."

Allan said that repurposing mining tyres is good, but that it only delays ultimately their entry into landfill.

He cited examples in the consumer space to shred and re-purpose tyres - for example aggregate solutions, for playgrounds and even lawn mulch.

"It is a good development and progress, but not the recycling vision we want to embrace." "Devulcanisation is the ‘holy grail' here, so rubber can be used again in a new tyre - would really be something. But a solution is still to be found in that area."

Allan noted that research is ongoing in everything from cryogenic freezing, to high-pressure water jets and using bacteria to break down tyres.

Allan detailed the ongoing work at his company's tyre recycling plant in Antofagasta, Chile. The 20,000 m2 Antofagasta plant consists of an area to inventory scrap tires, cutters to reduce them in size, two reactors, oil storage tanks and carbon storage.

"When we look at the role we can play in the circular economy and creating a virtuous cycle, we have started by breaking down the tyre into its fundamental elements," he said, adding that the goal is to achieve the "highest and best" outcome.

A single 63-inch tyre can yield as much as 1 ton of high-tensile steel, almost 2,000 litres of oil and 1,600 kg of carbon ash. Then there is also 350 m2 of synthetic gas, which can be used to run the plant itself through pyrolysis.

The process captures oil in tanks and creates recovered carbon ash - there is also a steel worm left that weighs almost a ton, clean and ready for use by foundries.

Chile was a good choice for the plant because the government is looking at legislation that will make demands on miners for end-of-life solutions for tyres, and Kal Tire has created a "chain of custody" for tyres there, he said.

Remarketing the materials produced has been challenging as for example the carbon isn't as clean as "virgin" carbon black and there is no "green premium" just because the goods were created through recycling, added Allan.

However, with "highest and best" outcome as the company's mantra, he expected manufacturers to become more open to using repurposed carbon black.

"We just have to keep pushing this environment forward."