Tyromer's ELT expertise tapped by Amazon

TORONTO—Even with a small staff, tire recycling company Tyromer Inc. is making a big splash after having been selected by Amazon to be a part of its Clean Energy Accelerator 4.0 team.

Tyromer was notified of the decision by Amazon's Web Services company, AWS, in mid-August. The company was just one of 21 startups or late-stage startups selected from over 800 applications representing nearly 75 countries. The AWS program is a high-pace, non-equity dilutive accelerator designed to help enterprise customers decarbonize at scale. It does so through co-innovation with emerging clean energy and climate tech solutions by mature startups.

The ultimate goal of the Clean Energy Accelerator 4.0 team is to accelerate net zero pathways through the deployment of circular economy solutions that benefit Amazon's environmental impact globally. The selected team members will work together to preserve depleting natural resources.

For Tyromer, this means setting up pilot programs with Amazon that will use recycled tires to create new tires for the online retailer's delivery vans and semi-trucks used around the world. The hope is that those pilot programs could begin by the first quarter of 2025, according to Tyromer Chief Operating Officer Jon Visaisouk.

A third pilot program would provide sustainable rubber materials for conveyor belts used at Amazon's global warehouses.

"Our goal is to have more tires and other rubber materials made from recycled tires," Visaisouk said. "We want to help Amazon decarbonize their operations."

Tyromer leaders weren't certain how well their application to join the accelerator would turn out, but they used a concise, specific pitch deck focused on the benefits and operation of tire recycling to get the online retailer's attention. To ensure pilots are completed successfully, Tyromer is required to collaborate with one or more tire OEMs to support Amazon's need. Visaisouk says discussions are well underway with multiple tire OEMs, and that more than one company may agree to support AMS' efforts with the Clean Energy Accelerator 4.0 team.

"The great thing for us is that getting this recognition from Amazon really helps to put us on the map," Visaisouk said. "It legitimizes what we are trying to accomplish and shows that one of the world's largest companies has a high level of trust in (Tyromer's tire recycling efforts). The fact that we made it through (Amazon's) vetting process will help us build further confidence within the industry."

The exact timeline and operational plan will be finalized in the coming months. Visaisouk said that he and other Tyromer executives will meet with AWS leaders in London this fall to map out the details. However, a general framework is already in place and will be executed with the help of one or more tire OEMs.

"We're pretty far along with the production and development of materials on our end," Visaisouk says.

Specifically, Tyromer is collaborating with Amazon Operations Sustainability to pilot tires containing TDP (Tire-Derived Polymer), a devulcanized tire rubber made from end-of-life tires, to introduce the Tyromer Tire-to-Tire vision for sustainable mobility. The Tyromer Tire-to-Tire strategy is designed to lead the effort of sustainable mobility, according to the company's website. Tyromer licenses its TDP production technology and systems worldwide to establish a distributed supply chain so customers can "buy local" and economic benefits and jobs can "stay local," according to the company.

Once established, the program with AWS will bring participants and piloting partners into immersion sprints and workshops to dive deep into other piloting opportunities. The companies selected to be on the Clean Energy Accelerator 4.0 team will showcase clean energy technology innovations, pilot progress and new use case developments to an audience of leaders in the energy space, industry experts, private and public sector and investors.

"We're pleased to welcome Tyromer into the Clean Energy Accelerator 4.0 as we work together to accelerate energy transitions through generative AI and grid modernization," Howard Gefen, general manager of energy and utilities for AWS, said in a statement. "With focus areas spanning from sustainability to clean energy, to alternative fuels, we're excited for this collaboration in helping us reach our net zero goal."

Being selected by AWS to be part of its Clean Energy Accelerator 4.0 team is critical for Tyromer's financial health as well. Visaisouk says that this exposure can his help company raise funds during a critical phase of its expansion efforts. This could also lead to more speaking opportunities for executives and a general recognition of content expertise throughout the rubber and tire industries.

"There's money out there for investments in this space but it's very competitive," Visaisouk says. "This can help us get an injection of cash. That's important because we're building a new best practice for the industry. We want to take tire runner and refresh it in an efficient way so it can be used again. It's an exciting time for us."