Empire State Development Invests $2.36 Million In Waste Tire Reuse, Recycling

Six projects seek to increase reuse, retreading, and recycling of waste tires generated in the Empire State

Empire State Development (ESD) is investing $2.36 million in six technology research projects that will increase the reuse, retreading, and recycling of end-of-life tires generated in New York State. ESD’s financial package includes $1.4 million in state funding through the NYS Waste Tire Program, which is managed by the REMADE Institute selected by ESD in 2025 to develop and manage the program.

ESD President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “New York is turning an environmental challenge into an economic opportunity. Through the NYS Waste Tire Program and our partnership with REMADE, we are supporting innovative “technologies that reuse, remanufacture and recycle waste tires advancing circular economy solutions while helping grow New York’s clean technology and advanced manufacturing sectors.”

REMADE CEO Nabil Nasr said, “These projects seek to not only address the challenge associated with these waste tires, but to develop innovative technologies to increase their reuse, remanufacturing and recycling and creating economic value to New York State. The NYS Waste Tire Program is a major step in the right direction and has the potential to be an example for other states to follow. With this program and more, the Empire State is quickly emerging as a Circular Economy leader here in the United States.”

Approximately 18 to 20 million waste tires are generated in New York State every year, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The NYS Waste Tire Program is a local example of the global effort to advance the circular economy– a system that promotes a “make-use-reuse-remanufacture-recycle” lifecycle for products and materials instead of the traditional linear “take-make-dispose” model. Conserving resources like rubber and tires through reuse, retreading, and recycling is a key part of this transition.

The six waste tire recycling projects were selected by REMADE through the Institute’s formal merit review process in concurrence with ESD. A Request for Proposals was issued in September, and proposals were due in November. All proposals were required to have a New York State-based partner as the source of waste tires within the state.

The six tire research projects are:

1. Project Title: “Physics Based Machine Learning Models to Estimate the Remaining Life of Commercial Vehicle Tires for Increased Retreading”
Partners: Michelin North America, Northwestern University,Pitt Ohio Supply Chain
Grant Award: ($345,124) total investment. NYS funding $250,000

2. Project Title: TireVision: AI-Driven Feedstock Intelligence for End-of-Life Tire Processing
Partners: Fusion One, LLC, SM Tire Recycling
Grant Award: ($529,570) total investment. NYS funding $250,000

3. Project Title: Advancing Matrix Tire Rubber Devulcanization Technology: Exploration of Catalysts, Odor/VOC Control; Product Refinement/Applications Development for Ancora and Ennova Rubber Modified Olefins
Project Leader: Prism Worldwide
Grant Funding: ($461,556) total investment. NYS funding $250,000

4. Project Title: Novel Use of Automation for Mass Manufacturing of Recycled Crumb Rubber Products
Project Partners: Tire Conversion Technologies, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hart Tool Company
Grant Award: ($328,739) total investment. NYS funding $250,000

5. Project Title: Molded Construction Products
Project Partners: The University of Akron, Rubberform Recycled Products,LLC
Grant Award: ($500,219) total investment. NYS funding $250,000

6. Project Title: Production of Cargo Trailer Floor Mats to Protect the Wood Floors in Cargo Transport Trailers
Project Partners: Liberty Tire Recycling, Prism Worldwide, Michigan Tool Works, L&J Manufacturing Solutions, Abrasive Waterjet of Indiana
Grant Award: ( $201,900) total investment. NYS funding $162,000

© Scrap Tire News, April 2026