{"id":15381,"date":"2024-07-25T04:00:42","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T04:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1408789"},"modified":"2024-07-25T04:00:42","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T04:00:42","slug":"tyre-dust-magnet-looks-to-capture-microplastic-pollution-from-evs-in-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=15381","title":{"rendered":"Tyre-dust magnet looks to capture microplastic pollution from EVs in London"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span>A UK startup is installing electrostatic tyre-dust collecting machines on a fleet of <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/ev\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EV<\/a> delivery vans in London, as it looks to make a dent in the world\u2019s second-<\/span><span>largest source<\/span><span> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.horiba.com\/int\/scientific\/resources\/science-in-action\/where-do-microplastics-come-from\/#:~:text=Second%20only%20to%20synthetic%20textiles,oceans%2C%20according%20to%20the%20IUCN.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">microplastic pollution<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When cars drive, friction between the tyre and the road surface causes tiny rubber particles to break off, where they disperse into the air, water, and even our bodies. Tyres contain a number of toxic chemicals, exposure to which has been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imperial.ac.uk\/news\/243333\/prioritise-tackling-toxic-emissions-from-tyres\/#:~:text=There%20is%20emerging%20evidence%20that,%2C%20reproductive%2C%20and%20cancer%20outcomes.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>linked<\/span><\/a><span> to cancer, lung disease, and even <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ecostandard.org\/news_events\/tyre-wear-an-underestimated-source-of-air-pollution-that-needs-to-be-tackled-in-the-eu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>mass die out<\/span><\/a><span> of river salmon.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe\u2019re all well aware about exhaust emissions from cars, but the enormity of the tyre pollution problem has largely fallen under the radar,\u201d Hanson Cheng, co-founder and CEO of The Tyre Collective, told TNW.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Cheng founded The Tyre Collective in 2020 alongside <\/span><span>Siobhan Anderson and Hugo Richardson. The team spun out the company from a masters research project at Imperial CollegeLondon.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1408793 size-full js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/07\/the-tyre-collective-london-startup.jpg\" alt=\"An image of the Tyre Collective founders Siobhan Anderson, Hugo Richardson, and Hanson Cheng \" width=\"1500\" height=\"1125\"><figcaption>The Tyre Collective founders: Siobhan Anderson (left), Hugo Richardson, and Hanson Cheng. Credit: The Tyre Collective<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1408793 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/07\/the-tyre-collective-london-startup.jpg\" alt=\"An image of the Tyre Collective founders Siobhan Anderson, Hugo Richardson, and Hanson Cheng \" width=\"1500\" height=\"1125\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span>\u201cDuring our research we found that almost nothing was being done to curb tyre pollution,\u201d said Cheng. \u201cIt was like this invisible issue no one was talking about.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\" readability=\"0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/conference\/tickets?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=display&amp;utm_campaign=global_tnw_media_event-registration_retargeting_launch_2025-tnw-conference-amsterdam_TNW\" data-event-category=\"Article\" data-event-action=\"In Article Block\" data-event-label=\"TNW Conference 2025 - Back to NDSM on June 19-20, 2025 - Save the date!\" target=\"_blank\" readability=\"7\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ica-text__title\">TNW Conference 2025 &#8211; Back to NDSM on June 19-20, 2025 &#8211; Save the date!<\/p>\n<p>As we wrapped up our incredible 2024 edition, we&#8217;re pleased to announce our return to Amsterdam NDSM in 2025. Registration now!<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>The Tyre Collective has built the first-ever device to capture tyre dust at its source. The machine, about the size of a toaster, is attached to the undercarriage of a vehicle, right behind the wheel.&nbsp; When a car drives, the tyre dust flows through the device where it is collected by a series of metal plates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe discovered that tyre particles become electrostatically charged due to the friction with the road,\u201d Cheng explained. \u201cSo we tried running a negative charge through the metal plates to naturally attract the particles. That did the trick.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1408790 size-full js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/07\/tyre-collective-london-startup.jpeg\" alt=\"An image of someone comparing the different amounts of tyre pollution produced in a day\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1094\"><figcaption>The box on the left, which weighs 336g, is how much the longest bus route in London produces in one day. Scientists estimate around 6.1 million metric tons of tyre dust end up in our atmosphere and waterways annually. Credit: The Tyre Collective<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1408790 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/07\/tyre-collective-london-startup.jpeg\" alt=\"An image of someone comparing the different amounts of tyre pollution produced in a day\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1094\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span>The patent-pending technology can attract up to 60% of a car\u2019s tyre particles. Once captured, they can be upcycled to make a number of products including shoe outsoles, rubber matts, inks, and dyes. The machine has to be cleaned out at minimum once a week, but the company says its working on a more convenient way to store the particles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In March, the EU adopted the world\u2019s first legal framework aimed at cracking down on tyre pollution \u2014 a clarion call for tyre manufacturers and car makers to clean up their act. It was also the market incentive The Tyre Collective was waiting for.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Spurred on by tightening regulations, the company is about to trial its technology on a fleet of electric delivery vans owned by London-based startup HIVED. The two-month trial will help The Tyre Collective refine its machine as it prepares to bring it to market, fuelled by $2mn in government grants.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1408792 size-full js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/07\/hived-trials-tyre-dust-collecting-machine-on-ev-fleet.jpg\" alt=\"An image of a HIVED employee explaining the rest of the team how to empty the machines once they're full\" width=\"1500\" height=\"998\"><figcaption>A HIVED employee shows EV van drivers where to empty the tyre-dust capturing machine once its full. Credit: The Tyre Collective<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1408792 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/07\/hived-trials-tyre-dust-collecting-machine-on-ev-fleet.jpg\" alt=\"An image of a HIVED employee explaining the rest of the team how to empty the machines once they're full\" width=\"1500\" height=\"998\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span>For companies like HIVED, the technology presents an opportunity to green their fleets beyond the tailpipe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cFor us, all-electric deliveries are a starting point, not the end destination,\u201d HIVED co-founder Murvah Iqbal, told TNW. \u201cWe\u2019re aiming for zero-emission mobility.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Tyre Collective\u2019s machine is far from a panacea. Ultimately, we must drive less, walk more, and invest in cleaner modes of transport alongside technological fixes.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, Cheng believes the device could become a standard piece of kit on all vehicles. Kind of like how catalytic converters \u2014 which turn toxic exhaust fumes into less-toxic pollutants \u2014 are now mandatory on all gas-powered cars.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not perfect, but it\u2019s a start,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/tyre-dust-magnet-tyre-collective-microplastic-pollution-london-ev\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A UK startup is installing electrostatic tyre-dust collecting machines on a fleet of EV delivery vans in London, as it looks to make a dent in the world\u2019s second-largest source of microplastic&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15381"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15381\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}