“Severmetallstroy” produces rubber coatings from old tires and earns a sustainable income. This is not enough for Valeria Tereshkova, the company owner, who wants to accept worn-out tires from Norilsk residents free of charge.
- How did the idea of a tire recycling business arise?
- I tried my hand in different businesses, including trading, cab, construction, and cafes. I organized my business from scratch and drove it to a steady income. And then I just lost interest. I wanted to keep going, to develop.
As a native Norilsk resident, I have always been concerned about the environmental situation in my hometown. The idea of making it clean has never left me. In 2019, I bought a company with a scrap metal recycling license. That's where it all started.
I started exploring the idea of recycling tires because I saw the number of unauthorized dumps growing. I was looking for concerned entrepreneurs and investors, but unfortunately, it didn't go further than talk.
There was a fuel spill at Nornickel that year, and the Russian government visited our city and paid attention to other environmental problems. Thus, we became one of the contractors for eliminating scrap metal and construction waste dumps. This contract allowed us to earn enough to purchase a line to process tires into crumb rubber. It has become feasible to clean Norilsk of old tires overflowing from landfills, including spontaneous ones.
- I tried my hand in different businesses, including trading, cab, construction, and cafes. I organized my business from scratch and drove it to a steady income. And then I just lost interest. I wanted to keep going, to develop.
As a native Norilsk resident, I have always been concerned about the environmental situation in my hometown. The idea of making it clean has never left me. In 2019, I bought a company with a scrap metal recycling license. That's where it all started.
I started exploring the idea of recycling tires because I saw the number of unauthorized dumps growing. I was looking for concerned entrepreneurs and investors, but unfortunately, it didn't go further than talk.
There was a fuel spill at Nornickel that year, and the Russian government visited our city and paid attention to other environmental problems. Thus, we became one of the contractors for eliminating scrap metal and construction waste dumps. This contract allowed us to earn enough to purchase a line to process tires into crumb rubber. It has become feasible to clean Norilsk of old tires overflowing from landfills, including spontaneous ones.
- How is the production process arranged?
- We accept tires mainly from legal entities that are required to take them to a recycling center. The raw materials are fed into a modern modular production line.
All equipment is made in Russia. We chose a Russian manufacturer consciously, before the sanctions, so as not to depend on spare parts deliveries from abroad.
The conveyor is fully automated and covers five production stages.
We give a second life to waste tires.
- We accept tires mainly from legal entities that are required to take them to a recycling center. The raw materials are fed into a modern modular production line.
All equipment is made in Russia. We chose a Russian manufacturer consciously, before the sanctions, so as not to depend on spare parts deliveries from abroad.
The conveyor is fully automated and covers five production stages.
- The puller's hook pulls out the bead ring.
- “The guillotine” cuts the rubber into strips, “chips,” sent to a conveyor belt for recycling.
- The crusher crushes the tire pieces into crumbs of various fractions.
- The crumb is mixed with pigment and glue.
- This mixture is used to make tiles and other coatings as the customer desires.
We give a second life to waste tires.
700 kg of tires per hour
is processed by the Severmetallstroy line.
- How many people work with your company?
- There are 16 people in the Recycling Division, including 5 on the conveyor belt. It is enough to keep an eye on the automation. We are now planning to recruit people and launch a second shift. In the future, we can upgrade the line and increase the output.
- There are 16 people in the Recycling Division, including 5 on the conveyor belt. It is enough to keep an eye on the automation. We are now planning to recruit people and launch a second shift. In the future, we can upgrade the line and increase the output.
Tire recycling workshop at Severmetallstroy
Tire recycling workshop at Severmetallstroy
"Guillotine" cuts old tires into strips
The demand for our products is growing and there are calls even from Moscow! Our prices are lower than “on the mainland”. For example, in Krasnoyarsk 1 sq. m of rubber coating costs more than RUB 3,000, and it has to be delivered. Our price is RUB 2,300-2,400.
4,000 tons of tires
are disposed of per year through recycling at the plant.
- Who are your customers?
They are mainly contractors who have won tenders for landscaping and renovating premises and playgrounds.
Ground crumb rubber is used on children's and sports grounds, in fitness halls, kindergartens, garages, and public institutions. Recently, a local detention center purchased a large batch of crumb rubber carpets.
The coating has the advantage of being easily installed, can be produced in any shape, color and size, and is environmentally friendly. The recycled rubber does not emit any hazardous substances. It doesn't accumulate moisture, and thus won't ice or mold. It is very important for the northern region to have non-slip surfaces like this.
They are mainly contractors who have won tenders for landscaping and renovating premises and playgrounds.
Ground crumb rubber is used on children's and sports grounds, in fitness halls, kindergartens, garages, and public institutions. Recently, a local detention center purchased a large batch of crumb rubber carpets.
The coating has the advantage of being easily installed, can be produced in any shape, color and size, and is environmentally friendly. The recycled rubber does not emit any hazardous substances. It doesn't accumulate moisture, and thus won't ice or mold. It is very important for the northern region to have non-slip surfaces like this.
A surface area of more than 70,000 sq. m
can be covered with the crumbling produced in a year.
We want to reach an agreement with the municipalities and to experiment with putting tiles at the entryways of apartment houses. Every winter, janitors cut the ice there by hand. Our products will make their job easier and reduce the number of injuries in the winter.
- What challenges does your company face?
- Our goal is to establish, together with the city administration, recycling centers to collect scrap tires from the population, not only from legal entities.
Businesses should take the tires to a recycling yard and pay a disposal fee. But ordinary motorists are often not ready to pay even RUB 500 for four tires. They find it easier to throw them away in the trash or wherever else they can. The situation needs to be rectified.
It is enough to establish stationary receiving points all over the city and include the cost of disposal in the city budget. This is beneficial for the administration because the campaign against landfills has been going on for so many years.
- You participated in Nornickel's GR-Accelerator Program. Please share your insights with me.
- It is a great idea to unite the government and businesses. It is often the case that representatives of the authorities do not know what is happening. Many entrepreneurs have benefited from participating in the GR Accelerator Program. I understood this when I was at a Demo Day of the Program.
We met some interesting people and learned how other regions lived. Arctic entrepreneurs have a lot of great ideas. It is great that Nornickel is helping them to set up their business.
We don't need much financial support, we try to manage ourselves. But we would like to address the land lease issue for building an extra facility. Rubber crumbs are in demand only during the short Arctic summers, while recycling is all year round. We need our products stored somewhere, but we don't have enough space. There is very little free land in the city, but I hope that this issue will be resolved at the administration level with Nornickel’s support.
- What challenges does your company face?
- Our goal is to establish, together with the city administration, recycling centers to collect scrap tires from the population, not only from legal entities.
Businesses should take the tires to a recycling yard and pay a disposal fee. But ordinary motorists are often not ready to pay even RUB 500 for four tires. They find it easier to throw them away in the trash or wherever else they can. The situation needs to be rectified.
It is enough to establish stationary receiving points all over the city and include the cost of disposal in the city budget. This is beneficial for the administration because the campaign against landfills has been going on for so many years.
- You participated in Nornickel's GR-Accelerator Program. Please share your insights with me.
- It is a great idea to unite the government and businesses. It is often the case that representatives of the authorities do not know what is happening. Many entrepreneurs have benefited from participating in the GR Accelerator Program. I understood this when I was at a Demo Day of the Program.
We met some interesting people and learned how other regions lived. Arctic entrepreneurs have a lot of great ideas. It is great that Nornickel is helping them to set up their business.
We don't need much financial support, we try to manage ourselves. But we would like to address the land lease issue for building an extra facility. Rubber crumbs are in demand only during the short Arctic summers, while recycling is all year round. We need our products stored somewhere, but we don't have enough space. There is very little free land in the city, but I hope that this issue will be resolved at the administration level with Nornickel’s support.
There are concerned people in the authorities. For example, Alexander Pestryakov, Chairman of the Norilsk City Council of Deputies, is eager to assist entrepreneurs day and night.
- What are your plans for the future?
- When the tire recycling business operates at full capacity, we will start processing other wastes. For now, we have very modest levels of plastic recycling, and glass is not affected.
I recently came across a technology for making “soft wood”. It is a frost-resistant material which works as thermal and sound insulation. It can be used to line the facades of houses instead of painting them every year. We can save the city's money and redirect it to other needs. But for now, this project needs more scrutiny.
- What are your plans for the future?
- When the tire recycling business operates at full capacity, we will start processing other wastes. For now, we have very modest levels of plastic recycling, and glass is not affected.
I recently came across a technology for making “soft wood”. It is a frost-resistant material which works as thermal and sound insulation. It can be used to line the facades of houses instead of painting them every year. We can save the city's money and redirect it to other needs. But for now, this project needs more scrutiny.
Photos by Nornickel
September, 2024
