Russian trolleybuses to be equipped with tires made from waste

In the near future, the first 20 tires with a tread made from secondary raw materials will be handed over to the St. Petersburg Gorelectrotrans, which will be installed on trolleybuses for resource testing in urban conditions, reported in the press service of the Russian Environmental Operator (REO).

The tires were manufactured by the company "Gumilab", located in Vsevolozhsk, Leningrad region, and is considered the only manufacturer of tread strips for tire restoration in the country. In 2023-2025, 8,000 tread strips were produced at the enterprise, and 1,200 truck tires were restored, with a reported resource of 200,000 km.

Secondary raw materials are also being collected, and the company says that "we strive to reduce the burden on the environment by recycling natural and synthetic materials for reuse in production".

"Using this enterprise as an example, we can see how a circular economy works, when old tires are repeatedly extended in service. At the same time, their cost is 2-3 times lower than that of new tires, while maintaining the necessary operational characteristics," noted the REO press service.

It is reported that during vulcanization, the material of the tread strips acquires the necessary tensile strength and elasticity, as well as resistance to seasonal temperature changes and the effects of oils and other chemicals. Heat and pressure are applied to the rubber mixture with a sulfur content and other vulcanizing agents, and the products have been tested by specialists from the S.V. Lebedev Research Institute of Synthetic Rubber.

Photo: Gorelectrotrans