END-OF-LIFE TYRE RECYCLING: GOING BEYOND TO NEW CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS IN LATVIA

The end-of-life tyre recycling industry in Latvia faces significant issues on a national level and on a micro business level. The aim of the research is the clarification of opportunities for new circular business models within the tyre recycling industry in Latvia. The main research methods are literature review, semi-structured in-depth interviews, case studies, content analyses, and quantitative statistical analyses, qualitative and descriptive analyses, allowing providing integrative interdisciplinary assessment. In addition, design-thinking methods contributed to conclusions on future opportunities of new tyre recycling business models. The research shows that the system is insufficiently supervised, and it does not facilitate the development of new environmentally friendly technologies and circular business models. A large share of tyres ends up in waste landfills, are incinerated or illegally stored, whereas only a small number of them are recycled. The traditional tyre incineration methods are ineffective and create adverse effects on the environment. Tyre recycling companies in Latvia are not active in adoption of new technologies and business models. This justifies the topicality of the research problem. The research results reveal that globally new opportunities are being actively explored on how to produce higher added value products from materials obtained in the tyre recycling process. In Latvia, it is possible to develop new financially viable circular business models in tyre recycling industry, for instance, by producing tyre-derived aggregates for construction materials or pavement subbases. Besides the need for dynamic innovation capabilities of entrepreneurs, development of new business models in tyre recycling requires collaboration among various stakeholders. In addition, the government has a significant role in implementing the Green Public Procurement for the industries utilizing products gained as a result of tyre recycling.