The pyrolysis of used tires presents a new opportunity in the voluntary carbon markets (VCMs). By breaking down end-of-life tires into valuable byproducts like pyrolysis oil, syngas, and recovered carbon black (rCB), tire pyrolysis reduces reliance on carbon-intensive materials and fuels. These reductions in CO2 emissions can be measured and potentially traded as carbon credits, provided the pyrolysis process adheres to strict criteria for generating carbon credits, including additionality, permanence, and accurate quantification of emissions reductions.
Diverting tires from landfills and cutting fossil fuel dependence allows pyrolysis to contribute to the circular economy, delivering both environmental and financial benefits. Some advanced pyrolysis technologies even incorporate carbon capture, further lowering emissions and increasing the number of carbon credits generated.
With growing regulatory interest and stricter carbon credit standards, the potential for tire pyrolysis to thrive in carbon markets is expanding. In the U.S., recent updates from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on carbon credit derivatives aim to support robust and transparent trading. Proper verification and quantification of pyrolysis projects will be crucial for ensuring they benefit from this high-integrity carbon credit market.
Carbon credits generated from the pyrolysis of used tires offer a promising opportunity to achieve negative carbon emissions. This innovative process reduces overall CO₂ output by transforming end-of-life tires into valuable byproducts like pyrolysis oil, syngas, and recovered carbon black (rCB). These byproducts replace more carbon-intensive materials and fuels, resulting in net CO₂ reductions.
By employing pyrolysis, emissions typically associated with traditional disposal methods—such as landfilling or incineration, which produce significant greenhouse gases—are avoided. Processing used tires through pyrolysis can even lead to a negative carbon footprint, capturing more carbon than it emits when accounting for avoided emissions and displaced fossil fuel usage. Estimates suggest that pyrolysis reduces CO₂ emissions by approximately 1.2 tons per ton of tires processed. Recycling one million tires through pyrolysis could result in a net reduction of 300,000 to 500,000 metric tons of CO₂ (RECYCLING Magazine, Environmental Defense Fund).
Moreover, recent U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) guidelines for voluntary carbon credit trading strengthen the potential for tire pyrolysis to earn carbon credits. These guidelines emphasize robust quantification, additionality, and permanence in emissions reductions, ensuring that tire pyrolysis projects can be trusted to deliver verifiable climate benefits (Holland & Knight, Carbon Pulse). With advancements in carbon capture technology and process efficiencies, pyrolysis could play an increasingly significant role in achieving negative carbon emissions, thus enhancing its value in carbon credit markets.
