Pathways to Carbon Neutrality: A Review of Life Cycle Assessment-Based Waste Tire Recycling Technologies and Future Trends

Authors:
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Waste tires (WTs) pose significant environmental challenges due to their massive volume, with millions of tons generated globally each year. Improper disposal methods, such as illegal burning, further aggravate these issues by releasing substantial quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and toxic pollutants into the atmosphere. To mitigate these impacts, the adoption of environmentally friendly resource recovery technologies and a thorough evaluation of their environmental benefits are crucial. Against this backdrop, this research reviews life cycle assessment (LCA)-based analyses of WT recycling technologies, focusing on their environmental performance and contributions to GHG emission reduction. Key recycling pathways, including pyrolysis, rubber reclaiming, and energy recovery, are evaluated in terms of their carbon emissions, alongside an in-depth analysis of carbon reduction opportunities across various stages of the recycling process. Based on these findings, this paper proposes feasible recommendations and identifies future trends for advancing WT resource recovery. The objectives are to (1) systematically review the existing LCA research findings and technological pathways for WT resource recovery; (2) evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of current technologies from the perspective of carbon emission reduction; and (3) explore future trends, proposing optimization pathways and recommendations for technological development.
Funding Information
  • Shanghai Municipal Education Commission-Gaofeng Environment and Ecology Grant Support (Class IV) (No. HJGFXK-2020-001): Pollution Control and Resource Utilization of Typical Waste in the Mechanical and Electronic Industry (No. HJGFXK-2020-001)

This publication has 133 references indexed in Scilit: