This year, Earth Overshoot Day falls on 24 July - on this day, humanity has used up all the natural resources that our planet can regenerate within a year. Since 24 July, we have been living at the expense of future generations until the end of the year. Earth Overshoot Day moves forward every year - a clear sign that our global consumption of resources is not sustainable.
But there are solutions. NEW LIFE stands for a forward-looking, climate-friendly circular economy. Our initiative shows how sustainable resource conservation can work in practice. The recycling of used tyres makes a sustainable contribution to protecting the environment and climate.
Every year, more than 500,000 tonnes of used tyres are produced in Germany, of which over 200,000 tonnes are recycled in a climate-friendly way. This avoids more than 200,000 tonnes of waste every year, keeps valuable raw materials such as rubber, steel wire and textile fibres in circulation and conserves natural resources. Every tonne of used tyres recycled also saves around 700 kg of COâ‚‚ (compared to thermal recycling). That's real climate protection - made in Germany.
Over 140,000 tonnes of rubber are recovered from used tyres every year and used to manufacture durable, sustainable products. The product spectrum ranges from fall protection for playgrounds and elastic flooring for running tracks, paths, squares, balconies and terraces to noise protection and structural protection for green roofs.
Recycled products made from used tyre rubber granulate consist of up to 95 % of secondary raw materials. Particularly important: the rubber granulate bound in the products can be recycled again at the end of its useful life. This means that the raw material remains in the cycle and can be utilised several times.
Conclusion: Earth Overshoot Day is a warning signal - but also a call to action. With NEW LIFE, we are demonstrating how the circular economy can work - and how new paths can be created from old tyres.