Poland generates between 250,000 and 340,000 tons of used tires every year, but the cost of recycling them is rising sharply. Around 60 percent of scrap tires are currently burned for energy, while only 35 percent undergo material recycling. Industry players warn that without systemic changes, the green transition will become unaffordable.
Used tires are a stubborn waste stream. In Poland, approximately 60 percent of them end up in cement kilns or industrial furnaces, where they are co‑incinerated either whole or after being shredded into alternative fuel. Another 35 percent is ground down and turned into rubber granules for sports surfaces, playgrounds or new rubber products. The remaining 5 percent is disposed of or lost.
The European Union’s Green Deal and the circular economy package push for material recycling to become the dominant method. However, recycling is more expensive than energy recovery, and companies collecting and processing used tires are already feeling the pinch.
A fleet running on fumes
Grupa Recykl, one of the two largest tire‑recovery operators in Poland, operates three recycling plants in Krosno Odrzańskie, Śrem and Chełm. Its fleet of heavy trucks and hook‑loaders collects more than 750,000 used tires annually – over 7,500 tons each month. To put that into perspective, that is the equivalent of 30 full truckloads of passenger car tires arriving at each plant every working day.
The company has placed over 460 containers across Poland and neighboring countries. Every month, more than 800 containers packed with used tires are delivered to its facilities. Covering those routes requires the fleet to run an average of 230,000 kilometers per month, consuming nearly 75,000 liters of diesel.
– We pick up all types of tires – passenger, truck, motorcycle, even oversized ones. Together, our vehicles deliver more than 7,500 tons of tires to the plants every month – said Karina Rychlik‑Parysek, transport and logistics manager at Grupa Recykl.
Fuel costs jump 35 percent
The biggest burden for recyclers is fuel. According to Grupa Recykl, diesel costs have risen by roughly 35 percent in recent months. That translates into an additional 200,000 to 250,000 złotys each month – a sum that cuts deeply into already thin margins.
– These are huge volumes and large sums of money. In conditions of high fuel price volatility, conscious management of the transport process is crucial. The final cost level depends not only on the price of fuel itself but above all on how the fleet is organized – Karina Rychlik‑Parysek explained. – In our activity, the main area of optimization is route planning and minimizing unnecessary kilometers – she added.
The company employs drivers on permanent contracts, a strategy that keeps turnover low. Many drivers have been with the firm for over a decade.
Financial strain despite rising revenue
Grupa Recykl reported revenue of 32.4 million złotys in the first quarter of 2026, up from 31.5 million a year earlier. EBITDA edged up to 3.9 million złotys from 3.8 million. Yet the bottom line turned red: the group posted a net loss of 677,000 złotys in Q1 2026, compared with a net profit of 337,000 złotys in the same period of 2025.
The other major player in the market is Centrum Utylizacji Opon Organizacja Odzysku (CUO), set up by tire giants such as Bridgestone, Continental, Dębica, Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli. CUO holds about 40 percent of the Polish market and works with cement plants, recycling firms and a heating plant. It also cooperates with companies from the Grupa Recykl capital group.
Both operators agree that without better cost management and stronger policy support, the circular economy for tires will struggle to take off. The EU wants material recycling to become the priority, but if the business model relies on cheap energy recovery, a painful transition lies ahead.
Źródło: wnp.pl, Fot. Shutterstock
