Hugo Richardson

No species has impacted our planet more than humanity. Exploding population coupled with burgeoning socioeconomic desires has fuelled unprecedented consumption and the generation of waste. Nothing highlights this more than the emergence of microplastic pollution. 

Until recently, very few people were aware of tyres being a source of microplastics. These particles are shed every time a vehicle accelerates, brakes or corners and are unique in that they contribute to both air and water pollution - accounting for up to 50% of air particulate emission (PM) from road transport. It is estimated that a staggering 3.4 million tonnes are produced globally each year, equating to 78% of microplastic leakage into our oceans. Just this year, they were found to cause the mass die-off of Coho salmon in the Sanfrancisco Bay Area.

TRAP: The Tyre Collective aims to mitigate emissions by capturing tyre wear at the source to ensure clean air, safeguarding our environment and health. 

TRAP uses electrostatics to capture charged tyre particles at source, on the vehicles themselves. Positioned close to the tyre, it prevents these harmful particles entering the wider environment. Once captured, they can be processed and reused in a variety of applications from new tyre production to inks and dyes, creating a closed loop system.

This prototype has been developed as a retrofittable solution for light commercial vehicles, dominated by logistics, booming during COVID-19. Delivery fleets have shown strong green commitments, pledging to be fully electric by 2030. Their routes are focused around cities whilst providing the regular maintenance required to empty TRAP.

Alongside building and testing, I developed computer models to study the behaviour of charged particles under aerodynamic, electrostatic, and gravitational forces.

The power of this approach is that I can run all the same experiments, that took months of physical testing, in a matter of minutes. This flexibility means trends quickly appear and new theories tested without the need to build.

Prototyping during a global pandemic has required every bit of ingenuity I possess, the final build was no different. Over the past 3 months, I have relied heavily on easily accessible and machinable materials. I had to cycle between six different locations regularly: two makerspaces, three professional workshops, a test facility in Hertford, and a part time framing job giving me access to a CNC. 

On a personal level, this project has made me fall back in love with the engineering practice that I have so often tried to distance myself. It has been the culmination of all my years of learning - lying at the intersection of design and engineering. I am truly grateful to all those who supported me along the way; my family, The Tyre Collective team, and Chris at SohoFrames, for allowing me to continue to explore my process in the workshop during a national lockdown.

I envisage a future where TRAP is ubiquitous throughout our city. Together, we can make this future a reality, and save our air from tyre wear!