From Pollution to Products

Over a million tonnes of tyre wear particles are produced annually across Europe. It is the second-largest microplastic pollutant in our oceans, toxic to marine life, and a major source of air PM pollution. This problem gets worse with electric vehicles, from the added battery weight and torque. The Tyre Collective is developing the first on-vehicle device to capture tyre wear at the source. Our patent-pending technology uses electrostatics and airflow to attract tyre particles. Capturing tyre wear is only the first step, we need to find ways to reuse it and prevent them from ending up in landfills. Tyre wear is a micronised rubber that can be upcycled into a variety of applications. This collaborative project, as part of the Terra Carta Design Lab, brings designers, material scientists, and chemical engineers together and creates exciting applications for tyre wear. From interactive surfaces to 3D-printed objects, this adds value to pollution while reducing CO2 and the use of virgin materials. Tyre wear will become the leading source of vehicle pollution. Together, let’s save our air from tyre wear.