Malaysia imports 22 million tyres a year, raising waste concerns
Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the high volume of imports could result in millions of tyres becoming waste if not properly recycled.
"In recognising this concern, the Malaysian Rubber Board (LGM) is undertaking research and development initiatives to unlock the potential of used tyres as a resource under the circular economy," he said in response to a question from Datuk Ahmad Amzad Mohamed (PN-Kuala Terengganu).
Chan said research on the use of recovered carbon black (rCB) is actively under way.
"rCB is obtained through thermochemical processes and has the potential to serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional carbon black fillers in rubber product manufacturing.
"As carbon black is a key component in almost all rubber products, the utilisation of rCB represents a significant contribution towards the sustainability of the tyre and rubber industries.
"In addition, studies are also being conducted on the potential use of rubber derived from used tyres processed through methods such as reclaiming, devulcanisation or pyrolysis.
"These materials show potential for various applications, including as additives in bitumen, brick manufacturing, road surfacing materials, rubber mats and footwear."
He said collaboration with various stakeholders, including research institutions and industry players, is encouraged to ensure more products derived from used tyres can be developed and commercialised.
"In addition, the Malaysian Rubber Council has allocated special funding under the Automation and Green Technology initiative to encourage the rubber products industry to adopt automation, digitalisation and green technology.
"This initiative aims to enhance the industry's efficiency and competitiveness in the long term.
"MRC also offers pre-commercialisation and commercialisation funding for innovative products through the Industry Linkage Fund 2.0 and the MRC Commercialisation Fund, including for products made from used tyres."
Through funding under the Industry Linkage Fund, one innovative product developed using used tyres is a new precast wall panel, currently in the pre-commercialisation phase in collaboration with industry partners.
The panel incorporates rubber crumb derived from used rubber tyres, enhancing the wall panel's properties by offering high insulation against heat, fire and sound.
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