Toyoda Gosei is doubling its rubber recycling capacity at the Morimachi Plant in central Japan to accelerate rubber recycling in the automotive industry. While materials like steel and plastic are increasingly recycled, rubber recycling remains a challenge, with most rubber waste still being incinerated for heat recovery. Toyoda Gosei launched its first recycling line in 2021, utilizing proprietary devulcanization technology to convert rubber waste into high-quality raw materials, which has been used to recycle production waste.
The company is now introducing a second recycling line, set to double the facility’s capacity to 1,200 tons annually. Mass production with the new line is expected to begin in 2025, featuring enhanced technology to improve the quality of recycled rubber. This advancement will increase the proportion of recycled material in new products from just a few percent to up to 20%. As a result, nearly all waste from the production of opening trim weatherstrips at the Morimachi Plant can be recycled.
The recycled rubber will also be used in other products made from the same type of synthetic rubber (ethylene propylene diene monomer, or EPDM). Toyoda Gosei is also developing technology to recycle natural rubber and aims to establish a system for recovering rubber from end-of-life vehicles. Moving forward, the company will collaborate with automakers and other partners to become a global leader in rubber recycling.
