Dominic Salmon leads business development at 3R Group, the Tyrewise Scheme Manager, and took on the role of Fund Advisor for Puna Taurima, the Tyrewise Fund in July 2025, its first year.
“Because it is grant funding, we have to be so careful and make sure we are absolutely watertight.” The response exceeded any expectation he had.
The largest value sat in research and development, particularly for the work needed to shift rubber into roading. Other ideas, such as permeable surfaces for car parks, paths and kerbs that let water reach trees, challenged how infrastructure is built, not only what it is built from.
The roading applications set out to remove the obstacles that stop councils and agencies specifying rubber: durability, recyclability, longer surface life.
“It’s helping encourage early adoption. We believe the funded projects will give roading owners confidence to adopt rubber in roading technology, and we can build momentum from there.”
In three to five years he wants to see recycled rubber normalised in infrastructure, from roads to building foundations, and the reliance on export markets falling as a result. The measure is simple: what will the view look like in 2027?
“This time next year I’ll be able to say we have achieved.”