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Germany’s rubber industry association, WDK, has reported 84,000 tonnes of used tyres with unclear destinations in its 2025 statistics, renewing calls for systematic recording of tyre movements and recovery routes.
The figure is below the approximately 100,000 tonnes reported for 2024, although the association says the loss rate remains a concern. Its latest findings were published on 14 October 2026.
The WDK tyre-flow chart records 461,000 tonnes of domestic end-of-life tyre arisings. A further 52,000 tonnes of imported used tyres and 9,000 tonnes from vehicle dismantling bring the total available for reuse or recovery to 522,000 tonnes.
The 84,000 tonnes with unclear destinations sit within that total. They represent material unaccounted for in the published statistical balance, rather than an additional volume or evidence of an equivalent contractual supply shortfall for German recyclers.
Recorded material recycling nevertheless increased. Some 210,000 tonnes were processed into granules and rubber powder in 2025, compared with 193,000 tonnes in 2024. The latest chart also records 78,000 tonnes used by the cement industry, meaning granulate and powder production handled roughly 2.7 times that volume.
For collectors, recyclers and retreaders, the distinction between recorded treatment and unknown destinations matters when assessing available material. The unexplained volume cannot automatically be treated as feedstock available to particular operators.
In its latest release, WDK calls for systematic recording of arising used tyres and their recovery routes. The association argues that more complete tracking would help retain secondary raw materials within the circular economy.
Stephan Rau, WDK’s technical managing director, suspects some unaccounted-for tyres were exported outside the EU for burning or pyrolysis under poor health and environmental conditions. This remains WDK’s suspicion: the statistics do not establish where the 84,000 tonnes went.
Tags: WDK, Germany used tyres, waste tyre tracking, end-of-life tyres, tyre recycling, tyre recovery, secondary raw materials, rubber granules, rubber powder, circular economy
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