WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
 
Waste Recycling Equipment, Products, Services, Information and Related Resources

Scrap Tire Recycling

1.      Scrap tires are generated by many companies and have been a main disposal issue in the United States for the past few years.

2.      Tires are very bulky and take up a significant amount of valuable space in landfills.  Large piles of tires tend to attract mosquitoes and rodents, necessitating better ways to recycle or dispose of them.

3.      Scrap tires have many recycling uses. They can be turned into fuel, used for civil engineering, converted into rubber, or retreaded and reused. Some retreaded tires are exported to other growing countries for usage.

4.      Most states require tires to be shredded before disposal in landfills and many landfills are moving towards not allowing tires at all, making scrap tire recycling a more attractive option.

5.      Tire-derived fuel is one of the highest markets for scrap tires. While it technically isn’t recycling, it’s still a use for tires and keeps them out of landfills.

Consider selling scrap tires to tire-to-energy facilities or electric, cement, industrial, or paper industries for usage as fuel.

The fuel produces more energy than coal (about 25% more) and produces about the same amount as oil, making it a viable alternative.

6.      Civil and industrial engineering also has many uses for tires.

Shredded tires can be used as a replacement material for building embankments.

Instead being disposed of in landfills, tires can be used in the construction of different sections of landfills.

Other uses for shredded tires include creating surface material in playgrounds or as a substitute for     gravel. Whole tires can be used as race track crash barriers or boat bumpers at marinas and other     docks.

7.      Tires can be ground into asphalt rubber, which is used in many states for highway construction. It’s been proven to help road surfaces last longer and reduce maintenance, it produces less noise, and breaking distances don’t have to be as long on it.

Ground rubber can also be used as running track material because the material produces less stress on runners and lasts longer. The ground cover under playground equipment can be made of ground  rubber from scrap tires because it absorbs the energy from falling children well.

8.      Retreading tires is a popular use for scrap tires. The outside tread of the tire is removed and a new tread is added in its place, essentially creating a new tire.

This process requires less material than creating a new tire from scratch and therefore costs less, passing on savings to both consumers and producers

The market for retreading is growing and is a good market to invest in because of its many related benefits.

9.      Because of the numerous regulations involved with the disposal of scrap tires, many states offer special programs to help with tire recycling. Look up your local government’s scrap tire programs to find out when and where the best places are to recycle tires.