November 7, 2025
This new European regulation redefines the management of end-of-life tires to achieve more inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities.
Since July, the European Union has marked a turning point in the fight for sustainability, thanks to the entry into force of the Ecodesign Regulation for Sustainable Products (ESPR). This regulation establishes an unprecedented framework that will impose new standards on the design, durability, and recyclability of products in key sectors, including tires. From Tratamiento de Neumáticos Usados (TNU), they point out that this regulation will redefine the life cycle of tires and, with it, the circular economy of the sector in Europe and Spain. In this context, Neusus Urban has taken the lead in the management of end-of-life tires (ELT) through the creation of sustainable urban furniture made from recycled rubber.
Tires, products that have traditionally faced recycling constraints, are a focus of the ESPR, along with other sectors such as textiles, steel, and chemicals, among others. The goal is clear: tires entering the European market will have to meet stricter requirements for durability, repairability, and recyclability. This will allow more efficient management of ELTs, reducing waste generation and promoting the reuse of materials.
"Eco-design is not only aimed at reducing environmental impact but also at making it easier for products to become resources for the future, promoting a circular life cycle," TNU explains. This approach will not only improve the circularity of the sector but will also reduce dependence on virgin raw materials, aligning with the principles of sustainability and waste mitigation.
One of the most innovative elements of the regulation is the introduction of the Digital Product Passport (DPP), which allows exhaustive tracking of each tire from its manufacture to its final recycling. Through a QR code, products will carry detailed information on their recycled content, carbon footprint, and materials. In the case of tires, this initiative will facilitate the identification of those most suitable for recycling, increasing the quality of recovered materials and boosting their use in new tires. This "digital passport" not only seeks to improve product traceability but also has a strong social component. By providing accessible information, it fosters a direct link between the consumer and the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions, helping to make informed choices that benefit the planet. In this sense, the DPP is a tool that redefines transparency in the European consumer market.
In the case of Spain, where the management of ELTs was already regulated under Royal Decree 1619/2005, the ESPR has meant a regulatory update. Law 7/2022, in line with the European regulation, integrates these new guidelines and requires manufacturers to take responsibility from the production phase to the end of the product life cycle. This advance is not only technical: it will imply a change of mentality towards sustainability at all stages of production, an aspect that, according to experts, can consolidate the circular economy in the country.
Another of the most important advances promoted by the ESPR is the development of advanced recycling technologies, such as pyrolysis and rubber devulcanization. These techniques make it possible to recover essential materials from used tires. The first is a high-temperature process under low-oxygen conditions that decomposes rubber into hydrocarbons and other materials that can be reused in various applications. On the other hand, devulcanization reverses the vulcanization process, recovering rubber with elastic qualities that can be used in new products.
Recovered rubber from ELTs, thanks to these techniques, can be transformed into high-quality materials that are then integrated into street furniture as sustainable street furniture manufacturers like Neusus Urban do. For example, bollards made from recycled rubber not only act as safety barriers but also absorb impacts, protecting pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. In addition, these bollards have exceptional durability, withstanding even adverse weather conditions, making them a more sustainable and safer option than those made of rigid materials.
The implementation of the ESPR implies that all actors in the value chain, from manufacturers to consumers, are called upon to collaborate to transform ELTs into valuable and sustainable resources. Initiatives such as the production of street furniture from recycled rubber symbolize the potential of this regulation to create a more resilient and sustainable urban environment. This initiative not only reduces the need to extract new materials but also integrates the principles of circularity into city streets themselves.
