The NEW LIFE initiative has been honoured with the prestigious GREEN GOOD DESIGN SUSTAINABILITY AWARD 2024. A high-calibre expert jury at the Chicago Athenaeum selected NEW LIFE as the winner in the GREEN RECYCLING category. Network Coordinator Christina Guth was delighted with the award: "The award is a sign of international recognition of our initiative for climate-friendly used tyre recycling into high-quality recycled products for numerous industries. The award can help to secure the future of sustainable used tyre recycling in Germany and Europe."

The Chicago Athenaeum is an international museum of architecture and design whose mission is to raise public awareness of the value of good design that can positively impact the human environment. The aim of the annual awards is to internationally recognise outstanding individuals, companies, organisations, governments and institutions with their products, services, programmes, ideas and concepts that have provided exceptional food for thought and contributed to greater progress towards a healthier and more sustainable world: https://www.good-designawards.com/green-good-design-award-details-page.html?award=55637

From 20 September 2024, the winners of the GREEN GOOD DESIGN SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS 2024 will be honoured in an exhibition in Greece. The GREEN GOOD DESIGN 2024 EXHIBITION can be visited until 6 October 2024 at the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies in Athens.

Sustainable circular economy according to the cradle-to-cradle principle

In response to climate change, it is now more important than ever to avoid waste, use products for as long as possible and efficiently keep raw materials in the material cycle at the end of their life cycle. One example of the successful implementation of a sustainable circular economy based on the cradle-to-cradle principle is the recycling of used tyres, which won the GREEN GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024. The raw materials contained in used tyres (mainly rubber/rubber in addition to textile fibres and steel wire) are kept in the material cycle by NEW LIFE partners through recycling. The processed secondary raw materials are used to manufacture high-quality recycled products for a wide range of applications.

Around 525,000 tonnes of used tyres are generated in Germany every year. This corresponds to around 85 used tyres per minute or 1.4 used tyres per second. 42 per cent of the annual volume of used tyres was recycled in 2022. This helps to save hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste and CO2 emissions every year and conserve natural resources. The rubber recycled from used tyres in Germany corresponds to the annual yield of around 114,700 hectares of rubber plantations - three times the area of Cologne (405 km2).

Excellent recycling technology and recycled products

Using state-of-the-art recycling technology, the steel wire from used tyres is turned into very pure steel that is suitable for remelting in steelworks. The rubber from used tyres is ground into rubber granulate and fine rubber powder in high-performance recycling plants, from which a wide range of durable recycled products of different shapes, colours and designs are manufactured, which are used in numerous industries and areas of life:

• Elastic fall protection floors for playgrounds, kindergartens or retirement homes
• Non-slip, joint-friendly running tracks for stadiums and sports fields
• Slip-resistant, easy-to-clean floors for sports and fitness centres
• Visually appealing elastic slabs for terraces and balconies
• Elastic designer paving and double T-stones for paths and squares
• Edging and borders for paths and flower beds
• Heavy-duty, reusable elastic sheets and rubber mats for floors at trade fairs and events
• Anti-slip, joint-friendly stable mats for horses and livestock
• Covers to protect building elements, vehicles, people and animals
• Rot-proof protective layers (optionally with drainage layer) for green roofs
• Robust building protection mats for roofs with photovoltaic systems
• Resilient membranes for impact sound insulation indoors and outdoors
• Decoupling and protective mats for vibration isolation in railway applications
• Impact sound insulation for roof terraces, balconies, loggias and pergolas
• Wear-resistant anti-slip mats for load securing in goods transport
• Weather-resistant support palisades and boundary posts
• Weatherproof outdoor lamps, vases and design objects
• Fixed and mobile noise barriers and privacy screens
• Elastic levelling fills for uneven floors in concrete or timber construction
• Rubber-modified, durable asphalt for road construction and much more.

At the end of its second life, the recycled used tyre rubber can be recycled again in bonded rubber products, used as a raw material and kept in the material cycle.