Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:7282) is doubling its rubber recycling capacity at the Morimachi Plant in central Japan to accelerate the recycling of rubber used in automobiles.

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Background for increased rubber recycling (Photo: Business Wire)

While progress is being made in the recycling of resources such as steel and plastic in the automobile industry, the recycling of rubber products is difficult and almost all rubber waste is incinerated (utilization of heat). Toyoda Gosei began operations of its first recycling line in FY2021, using its proprietary devulcanization technology that can recycle rubber products into high quality raw materials. The company has been reusing the waste material generated in the production of products.

A second line is now being put into operation that will double the previous rubber recycling capacity to 1,200 tons annually. The new line, which is scheduled to start mass production in FY2025, incorporates improved technology to raise the quality of the recycled rubber. This enables to increase the percentage of recycled material mixed into new material from several percent up to 20 percent, which is with this almost all of the waste from opening trim weatherstrips* manufactured at the Morimachi Plant can be recycled.

The recycled rubber will also be applied in other products using the same type of synthetic rubber (ethylene propylene diene monomer; EPDM) as the waste material. Technical development including recycling natural rubber is also underway today. The company further aims to establish a recycling system that recovers rubber from end-of-life vehicles. Going forward, Toyoda Gosei will collaborate with automakers and other entities to lead the world in rubber recycling.

* Rubber products attached to door frames and elsewhere to keep wind, rain and noise from the vehicle interior.

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