The Tire Recycling Foundation Announces its 2026 Circle of Change Award Winners, Celebrating Real-World Solutions for End-of-Life Tires
May 15, 2026
WASHINGTON, May 15, 2026 – The Tire Recycling Foundation (TRF) announced the winners of its inaugural Circle of Change Awards, honoring projects that transform end-of-life tires into practical, sustainable materials that benefit communities, protect the environment, and showcase opportunities in ELT end-use markets.
From resilient roadways to innovative infrastructure and advanced manufacturing partnerships, this year’s honorees showcase the growing momentum and ingenuity driving end-use markets for recycled tires
“Every end-of-life tire represents an opportunity to transform what would have been considered waste into something that strengthens our communities,” said Stephanie Mull, executive director of the Tire Recycling Foundation. “This year’s winners are proof that when the industry works together, tire recycling can simultaneously strengthen infrastructure, drive meaningful environmental progress and support local economies.”
The 2026 Circle of Change Award Winners:
The following winners were announced during Tire Recycling Awards Luncheon at the just-ended 10th Tire Recycling Conference in Denver, Colorado.
Circular Economy Trailblazer Award – North Carolina
North Carolina’s Scrap Tire Program Modernization updated its funding framework to stabilize county collection and recycling, reduce illegal dumping and create a dedicated platform for integrating tire‑derived materials into transportation and public works projects.
Innovation in End-Use Technology Award – LHB Engineering & St. Paul Port Authority
This collaboration redeveloped the former Midway Stadium brownfield site in St. Paul, Minn., with an underground stormwater system that uses roughly 30,000 yards of tire‑derived aggregate (TDA) to protect the Mississippi River from contaminated runoff, demonstrating a scalable model for pairing site cleanup with recycled‑material infrastructure.
Market Development Excellence Award – Michigan EGLE and Partners
Michigan EGLE and its coalition of public, private and academic partners built a coordinated, multi‑sector effort that uses demonstrations, field data and stakeholder outreach to prove how tire‑derived aggregate (TDA), rubber‑modified asphalt (RMA) and porous pavements can deliver real transportation and stormwater solutions while accelerating market adoption of recycled tire materials.
Value Chain Collaboration Award – Bolder Industries & Pirelli Tire LLC
This partnership establishes a fully traceable, closed‑loop system that turns manufacturing scrap tires into recovered carbon black and feeds it back into commercial tire production, cutting emissions and resource use while proving circular tire manufacturing can work at scale.
The 2026 winning projects exemplify how tire recycling and tire-derived products are proven pillars of sustainability and economic growth, and underscore that active state ELT programs, with a strong focus on creating and sustaining innovative markets, offer a successful path forward.
“What stands out about the 2026 winners is how embedded tire recycling has become in real-world decision making,” said Dick Gust, president of the Tire Recycling Foundation. “The success of these projects sends a clear signal that when recyclers, engineers, transportation agencies, state and local governments, manufacturers and private industry work together, end-use markets grow. That’s the integrated approach we need to continue building on.”
The TRF Circle of Change Awards program is a national recognition program spanning four categories that was created to spotlight projects and partnerships advancing tire recycling, expanding markets for recycled tire products, and demonstrating leadership in the circular economy. For more information about the TRF Circle of Change Awards and all the nominated projects, visit: https://tirerecyclingfoundation.org/Awards.
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About the Tire Recycling Foundation
The Tire Recycling Foundation is a broad-based, whole value chain initiative, led by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) and the Tire Industry Association (TIA), committed to securing funding and allocating grants for research, education, intervention and demonstration projects targeting critical gaps within the tire recycling supply chain across the United States. For more information, visit: https://tirerecyclingfoundation.org