About us

Since our foundation in 1955 by my grandfather, Karl Kurz, our namesake, we have been involved with tyres in every respect. Whether our own tyre dealerships, car dealerships or our core business, waste disposal, my grandfather's pioneering spirit still characterises us today.

Back in the 1980s, when the topic of recycling first came up, my grandfather started to dispose of used tyres professionally and ecologically in what was then a tyre dealership in Echterdingen. As a medium-sized company, he lived sustainability before it became a buzzword. He took responsibility for our environment and for his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The move - for reasons of space - to the current headquarters in Wendlingen am Neckar was on the agenda at the beginning of 1989. In 1997, Karl Kurz (aged 65) took the opportunity to take over a former Gummi-Mayer site in Landau. Today, it is our home of almost 30,000 m², where we sort, trade, shred, load and assemble all kinds of tyres with around 25 employees from over a handful of different countries.

As a team, we do our utmost every day to make the best possible use of this valuable resource. We look for the best way to recycle or reuse all tyres, rubber articles and the resulting waste. Our teamwork and the diversity of our workforce are our strength.

And as the name suggests, we are also a dealer and market tyres and casings to the places where they can be put to the best possible use. In this way, we ensure that the stable safety product "tyre" lives on and is available for recycling in the circular economy when all other possible uses have been exhausted.

And even then, our used tyres (ELT) should not simply go the "easy and cheap" way. We stand and fight for the tyres generated in Germany and Europe to be recycled and recovered in these economic areas. We will not go along with the questionable routes that have become increasingly common since the beginning of the 2020s, in which tyres are "disposed of" without clarity in terms of safety, without control of supply chain compliance laws, without the certainty that the recipient will respect human rights and also without the emission protection that we regulate!

No matter how economically attractive it may be, the waste of CO² on the journey with overseas freighters alone makes it morally impossible for us We run our company in the spirit of our founders and our society and assume the responsibility that Karl Kurz has already taken on

We are committed tothat these morally questionable "disposal routes" are closed in the future and that the local, innovative and medium-sized recycling companies have a future. I am personally committed to this in various Associations and organisations and inform all interested parties at a wide variety of events.

Karl Kurz, who is known in the industry for his reliability and expertise, tirelessly sought new paths until his death in 2021, Recycle used tyres in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Our many years of experience in the tyre industry and innovative ideas made us a strong partner even back then. In addition to our reliability and willingness to innovate, this steady growth is a matter close to our hearts. I will continue my grandfather's life's work in his spirit without reservation.

When I was at primary school, I already wanted to follow in my grandfather's footsteps. At the time, I thought: that can't be possible. After all, you retire at 63 (I thought at the time) and at the time I was still on my way to finishing school. However, my grandfather's hustle and bustle continued in 2004 and 2007, when he bought back parts of the business that had supposedly been sold. So I was able to seize the opportunity in July 2007 and together we led the company into the future.

I learnt to love the circular economy of tyres more and more. The waste hierarchy was the most natural thing in the world in our Swabian-influenced family business (even before there was a name for it), because the Swabian in itself "doesn't let anything go to waste". This cornerstone of "waste avoidance" can already be found in the first hours of the company's foundation: my grandfather attached great importance to retreading worn tyres, giving the carcasses a new tread and thus multiplying the tyre's mileage (still unknown at the time: retreading saves 70% CO²). There is hardly any other product where this can be done as beautifully as with tyres - continue to use, retread and then shred the raw material and continue to benefit from its longevity. In the case of tyres where this is no longer possible, the recyclable material can be put to good use through thermal recycling in the cement industry (namely those with approved filter systems in Germany or Europe😉). In this way, everyone involved in the cycle has enough for their profession and the raw material is put to maximum use.

As you can see: We are passionate about the circular economy for tyres and the responsible and certified disposal of our beloved round rubber.

For the future, we are working on innovative solutions to get tyres off the road and back on the road. We can improve the safety and durability of roads with our AOKTO improve. But we also go further for our waste disposal customers - our fleet of machines and vehicles ensures the best service for our customers - whether large quantities or collection in small, winding alleyways - we give you security and flexibility to make waste disposal as simple and safe as possible for you.

KURZ Karkassenhandel is a renowned and certified waste management company for used tyres

Yours, Hanna Raff