This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the tire industry's shift towards sustainability, covering the background, objectives, and scope of sustainable practices in tire manufacturing, including the economics, carbon intensity, and environmental impacts of key materials and the exploration of sustainable alternatives. It covers green tire technology, examining bio-based rubber innovations, the application of nanotechnology, and sustainable material replacements, with a forward-looking perspective on future green tire technologies. Additionally, the report discusses recycling and end-of-life management for tires, emphasizing the significance of recycling, various recycling processes, and associated environmental, health, and safety considerations. The economic analysis explores the financial aspects of green tire production and recycling, including cost, pricing, and regional economic impacts. Environmental impacts and sustainability practices are scrutinized through Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon intensity comparisons and sustainable manufacturing best practices. The report also identifies the interests of key stakeholders in the green tire industry, including manufacturers, suppliers, regulatory bodies, consumers, and environmental groups, underlining the comprehensive approach to fostering sustainability in tire manufacturing and usage.

The report begins by defining polyolefins, followed by an overview of production technology pertinent to polyolefins. It then highlights recent business advancements for each polymer grade, along with providing a list of technology licensors and developers. The report will then delve into a comprehensive analysis of four pivotal recycling technologies — mechanical recycling, solvent-based purification, pyrolysis, and hydrothermal treatment — that are either under development or being commercialized for the recycling and valorization of polyolefin waste. The report will discuss the distinct features and implications of each recycling process. A cost of production process economics analysis will be provided for mechanical recycling, solvent-based purification, pyrolysis, and hydrothermal liquefaction. Profiles of key active companies within each respective technology will be profiled to shed light on current industry players and their contributions to polyolefin recycling. A Carbon Intensity analysis will be carried out for mechanical recycling, solvent-based purification, pyrolysis, and hydrothermal treatment across the United States, Western Europe, and China.

This report investigates the various commercial and developmental routes for the production of renewable ethylene. Technologies based on bio-ethanol, bio-naphtha, and bio-methanol are investigated for ethylene production, as well as sugar and glycerin-based routes directly to ethylene glycol. Pyrolysis oil from thermal conversion of plastic wastes has seen significant development for conversion into bio-naphtha feedstock, as well as gasification of biomass to produce methanol for ethylene production. Dry reforming of methane with carbon dioxide and electrochemical production of ethylene are the new technologies covered in this edition of the report. Cost of production models, process descriptions, capacity analysis and implications for the conventional industry are included.

This report provides an overview of commercial and developing technologies for the by-product and on-purpose production of propylene, the second most used chemical in terms of global volumes after ethylene. By-product propylene technologies include naphtha cracking, conventional and enhanced fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) of vacuum gas oil and atmospheric residue. This is followed by on-purpose propylene technologies that include residual grade propylene fractionation, propane dehydrogenation, metathesis, olefins catalytic conversion/cracking and methanol-based processes. The technoeconomic and carbon intensity analysis of the technologies in four regions (Middle East, United States, Western Europe, and China) are discussed, with coal-based processes included for China. Emerging or developing technologies that have the potential to decarbonize propylene production are also discussed. Cash margins for the commercial technologies by regions are correlated to the carbon intensities (scope 1 and 2), with a breakeven carbon cost analysis for fluidized bed catalytic crackers that are integrated with carbon capture systems. Global propylene capacity by producer is provided.