Waste Tires Turned into Treasure to Solve Global Problems

Recently, People’s Daily published an article titled “Old Tires Are Turning into Treasure,” reporting on how Jiangsu Zhonghong Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. and university research teams have collaborated to transform waste tires into new materials, maximizing their value. This not only represents high recognition of the enterprise, but also serves as strong evidence of its commitment to innovation and environmental protection.

Zhonghong Environmental has consistently upheld the green philosophy of “limited resources, infinite recycling” while forging ahead in the industry. From producing recycling equipment to manufacturing reclaimed rubber and specialized modified asphalt, the company employs a dual-driver strategy of “high-end equipment + new materials” to build a closed-loop industrial chain that spans collection, regeneration, application, and re-collection. This maximizes resource efficiency and environmental benefits, advancing the industry's shift toward low-carbon and sustainable development.

By blending “low-temperature fast-dissolving rubber modified particles” with asphalt, Zhonghong has overcome traditional issues such as poor compatibility, strong odor, and unstable storage. Compared to conventional asphalt, the new rubber-modified asphalt is more environmentally friendly and cost-effective. It is now widely applied in steel bridge deck paving, crack and white-to-black road surface renovation, cold-mixed anti-slip wearing layers, and waterproof sealing layers for high-speed railways—offering ideal solutions for a range of infrastructure challenges.

9-Year Pilot Project Validates Benefits in Practice

In the early hours of March 3rd, it began to rain on the Taixing section of the Ningjingyan Expressway in Jiangsu Province. A heavily loaded truck passed by quietly with no water splash on the road surface.

This 2-kilometer section is paved with a new “super-tough, high-viscosity rubber-modified asphalt.” The surface layer incorporates activated rubber particles derived from locally recycled waste tires. The functional lifespan has increased from the typical 5 years of traditional pavement to 10 years, with the structural layer projected to last 25 years.

Night-time driving noise remains at 75 decibels—8 dB lower than standard highways. Its anti-skid performance has improved by 50%, with near-zero water accumulation in rainy conditions, significantly improving safety.

As of March 2025, Professor Chen Xianhua's team at the Special Asphalt Pavement Technology Center of Southeast University's School of Transportation has tracked performance data for five years. After over 1,000 rheological tests and 10,000 road performance tests, they found that the “super-tough rubber-modified asphalt” offers over 50% better rutting resistance and nearly 5 times greater fatigue life than traditional high-viscosity asphalt.

Further calculations show a 62% reduction in maintenance costs over five years, saving ¥20 million per 100 kilometers, and reducing lifecycle carbon emissions by 38%.

Since 2016, this long-life rubber-modified asphalt has been successfully used on highways, national and provincial roads, and sponge city projects across China. According to Zhonghong’s technical director Zhu Yaqin, the company has completed over 50 construction and maintenance projects—including in Xiong’an New Area, Beijing-Rongwu Expressway, Hebei’s Jingqin Expressway, and Gansu’s Jiu-Jia Highway—across 16 provinces, winning numerous provincial and ministerial scientific awards.

Zhu added: “Low-quality asphalt roads typically require minor repairs every three years and major ones every five years. In contrast, Zhonghong’s road on the Ningjingyan Expressway’s Taixing section has shown no structural damage since its construction in 2019. Our earliest project on Shaanxi’s Huangyan Expressway has lasted nine years without any repair needs.”

Integrating Technological and Industrial Innovation: Transforming “Black Waste” into “Long-Life Pavement”

China is the world’s largest tire producer, manufacturing 1.18 billion tires in 2024 and generating approximately 370 million waste tires annually, with only about a 50% recovery rate.

Meanwhile, China has seen the fastest highway network expansion in the past decade, with 190,000 kilometers of expressways—ranking first globally.

As the nation’s transportation arteries support economic development, they also face rising maintenance needs and challenges in managing waste materials.

The Outline for Building a Strong Transportation Country emphasizes a shift from traditional factor-driven growth to innovation-driven development, aiming to build a modern, green, and efficient transportation system. Green pavement materials, driven by innovation, have evolved over years of joint research and development.

Around 2016, Zhonghong’s engineering team independently developed “low-temperature fast-dissolving rubber-modified particles” to replace traditional vulcanized rubber powder, solving issues like black smoke, odors, and segregation.

By 2017, Zhonghong collaborated with Southeast University’s School of Transportation and Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. They achieved nano-level dispersion of rubber in asphalt and raised the rubber content from under 20% (with vulcanized powder) to over 40%, enabling a single kilometer of road to recycle up to 2,000 waste tires.

Professor Wang Shifeng’s team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, along with Zhonghong and Sinopec’s refining division, undertook the Ministry of Science and Technology project “Green Functional Recycling of Waste Rubber.” Wang explains that the new material tackles asphalt’s brittleness and aging—key factors in short road lifespans—and is a leading candidate for next-generation long-life pavements.

In Zhonghong’s rubber-modified asphalt workshop, machines actively blend rubber granules with asphalt. With the help of emulsifiers and specialized equipment, the output is ultra-tough, highly viscous rubber-modified emulsified asphalt.

“All raw rubber used is sourced from local waste tires. This batch will be paved on the Hangrui Expressway next week,” Zhu Yaqin added. The technology has been deployed across more than 20 production lines and six manufacturing bases, with an annual capacity to process 300,000 tons of waste tires—providing recycled materials to major tire companies and boosting the entire value chain.

“Dual Carbon” Goals Drive Market Prospects—Green Ecosystems Require Long-Term Commitment

This year’s Government Work Report called for improving policies and standards to support green, low-carbon development and create a healthy ecosystem for sustainable industries. Under China’s “dual carbon” strategy, waste tires—once seen as black solid waste—are increasingly regarded as “black gold,” drawing widespread market interest.

“Our process took two and a half years of rigorous testing—small, medium, and large-scale trials; road testing; and customer qualification checks—to ensure safety and quality,” said Zhonghong’s chairman, Yu Lin. By supplying regenerated rubber materials to major tire brands and adapting to various formulation needs, Zhonghong continuously refined its raw material processing equipment. It also advanced its elastomer composite rubber-asphalt modification process, jointly developing mixing, laying, and production standards with universities and design institutes.

With a foundation of deep technical expertise and strict internal quality control, Zhonghong helped establish industry standards. The company is the lead drafter of the ongoing ISO 19846 international standard for reclaimed rubber and China’s GB/T 13460 General Specification for Reclaimed Rubber. It also contributed to drafting several national and industry guidelines, including the Green Factory Evaluation Guide for Reclaimed Rubber.

Yu Lin emphasized: “Currently, only the rubber raw material preparation process has standardization. The application of rubber-modified asphalt in roads still lacks broader regulation, although we are involved in drafting several provincial standards. Greater attention and promotion from authorities are needed.”

The People’s Daily report has brought much-needed attention to this vital environmental initiative. Zhonghong Environmental aims to continue innovating in both equipment and materials—offering green, low-carbon, and sustainable solutions for the global rubber and road materials industries.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Source: People's Daily