We have all seen unwanted tires in unusual places. From creative ways of re-using old tires like sandboxes or swings, to abandoned tires in groves or junkyards. Over 300 million used tires are discarded in the U.S. every year (approximately one tire per person per year). But, we are also more seeing unwanted tires being recycled as the scrap tire markets grow.
Problems with Unwanted Tires
Tires are not very popular at landfills, because of the huge amount of space that they consume. They have also been known to cause some problems at landfills because of the methane gas they produce. Tire piles can also be a fire risk, as well as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other vermin.
A Growing Scrap Tire Market
The scrap tire markets have grown tremendously over the last twenty years. There are several different markets that collect scrap tires which can prevent or minimize expensive fees to dispose of them or negatively affect the environment.
The 3 largest scrap tire markets are:
- Tire derived fuel (TDF- Not the same as recycling but helps keeps tires out of waste stream and produces a fuel source)
- Civil engineering applications (Backfill for retaining walls, landslide repair projects, etc.)
- Ground rubber applications/rubberized asphalt (Material recovered from waste tires is known as “crumb” and is usually just used as a filler with other materials, not on its own in high volumes).
A Solution for Your Tire Management
Used tires are bulky, taking up precious storage space at your facility. Some communities even require used tires to be stored indoors, locked in trucks or kept behind fenced and gated areas. Hauling, handling, storing, and disposing of old tires adds to the cost of your operation. The Compactyre takes a full-sized tire and compresses it to 1/3 of the original size, making it more convenient to store and transfer to a facility that recycles scrap tires. Then, you can get back to your business.
Here is a great resource to help you get started with recycling scrap tires in your state:
State-by-State Scrap Tire Programs
