AWARD YEAR
2023
CATEGORY
Work
GOALS
Clean Water & Sanitation, Sustainable Cities & Communities, Life Below Water
KEYWORDS
tyre-wear, microplastic
COUNTRY
United Kingdom
DESIGNED BY
Hugo Richardson, Hanson Cheng, Siobhan Anderson
WEBSITE
https://www.thetyrecollective.com/
The Tyre Collective
Spearheading the capture and monitoring of tyre wear
How does it work?
Tyres wear down every time we accelerate, brake and turn a corner. We found that tyre particles are charged from friction with the road. What started off with rubbing a balloon against a sweater, eventually led to our device that directs and captures tyre particles using electrostatics. The device is positioned behind the wheel, taking advantage of the airflow. Captured tyre wear is a form of micronised rubber that can be upcycled in a variety of applications, creating a closed-loop system. Together, let's save our air from tyre wear!
Why is it needed?
We all know tyres wear down but never considered where it all goes. Today, over a million tonnes of tyre wear particles are produced annually across Europe, making it the second-largest microplastic pollutant in our oceans and a major contributor to air pollution. It enters our waterways, the air we breathe, and there is nothing to stop it! This problem is only going to get worse with Electric Vehicles (EVs), from the added battery weight and torque. Without capturing tyre wear, transport will never be Net Zero.
How does it improve life?
At The Tyre Collective, our mission is to remove tyre wear from our environment. We are building the next “catalytic converter” for tyre wear, closing the loop on this pollutant, and challenging existing standards of zero-emission mobility for a cleaner, healthier future.