The Tyre Collective
A patented hardware device to capture microplastic pollution from car tires. I led research, product development, and testing from initial concept through five prototype generations. Running 28 real-world vehicle pilots with Volvo, Rivian, and CEVT. B-Corp certified. Patents in the US, EU, Japan, and China. Started from an idea, The Tyre Collective is now an international team.
Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer
Industrial Design, Rapid Prototyping, Material Science, Product Management, R&D Strategy, IP Strategy, Fundraising, Cross-functional Leadership
Year: 2020 - Present
This is the stealthy pollutant you never thought about.
Tire Wear is the second largest microplastic pollutant in our oceans, toxic to aquatic life, and a major air particulate pollution. It flows into our waterways and the air we breathe.
The Tyre Collective invented and built the first technology to capture this pollution, on vehicle as it is created, before it can disperse into the environment.
Three Company Pillars
Develop a device to capture tire wear pollution.
Advance research and support environmental policy.
Close the loop. Turn pollution into products.
Product Development
Starting from zero, we designed and iterated a hardware device that mounts behind a vehicle's tire to capture microplastic particles as they are created. We drove the device through five prototype generations, refining form, performance, constraints, and manufacturing feasibility at each stage.
Each iteration was informed by real-world data: 28 on-vehicle pilots across passenger cars, delivery fleets, and commercial vehicles. Pilot findings fed directly back into design decisions, from housing geometry to refining the core technology. Research into the particles themselves taught us how to target only the plastics, up to ~95% of what the device collects is tire wear, with a focus on capturing the smallest particles, which are the most harmful to our air and water.
The device now features patented core technology, a custom UI platform, and remote monitoring capability, assembled in-house and validated across international pilots.
Research & Policy
Our team believes in science-led research and open knowledge. We apply cutting edge research into our R&D strategy through in-house work, collaborations, and supporting independent research. This work has enabled the integration of machine learning and leading material science into The Tyre Collective. We have built a thriving network of independent researchers and supported scientific publications.
Collaboration with government officials and NGOs has contributed to the advancement of policies around tire wear internationally.
Close the Loop
This doesn't end with us. Tire wear is micronized rubber. We work with established recyclers to reuse it back into rubber products. Through experimental material science work, we have discovered that other novel products, such as batteries and 3D printing filament, can also be created.
