Benefits of Recycling Tires
Every day, millions of vehicles are on the road. Of these millions, each vehicle travels an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 miles annually. With the average automobile using four tires, we “burn” a lot of rubber every year.
In 2005, 290 million new tires were manufactured and 259 million tires were deemed scrap material. While the amount of waste from used tires is daunting, the opportunities for reusing these materials are just as numerous.
One of most important aspects of recycling and reusing waste tires is keeping them out of landfills. With their rounded, hollow shape, tires quickly consume a landfill’s most precious commodity—space. Additionally, stored tires pose an enormous environmental risk if they are ignited:
- Tire fires can burn for months (or years).
- They are difficult to extinguish.
- They can release harmful toxins into the air, soil and water.
In addition, stored tires can be a breeding ground for disease vectors such as mosquitoes and rodents. By keeping tires out of landfills, we leave room for other wastes, reduce the risk of potentially dangerous fires and help prevent the spread of vermin.
Another important benefit of recycling and reusing tires is a reduction in energy consumption and an increase in energy recovery. On average, 22 gallons of oil are required to create a new truck tire. However, to retread a tire (a process in which a new tread is applied to a used tire casing), only seven gallons of oil are required. Retreading a tire costs anywhere from 30 to 70 percent less than manufacturing a new tire, thereby reducing the cost to the consumer. Tires also can be used in place of fossil fuels in some manufacturing processes, reducing consumption of these fuels and utilizing energy already stored in the tire.
Additionally, recycling and reusing tires helps to beautify our neighborhoods and cities. Rather than being tossed in empty lots or left on the side of the road, tires can be reused in a number of ways from playground equipment to planters. They also can be used to create quieter highways through rubberized asphalt or maintain a landscape through erosion control. By creatively reusing tires, we can create something from nothing—form and function from waste.
