Yes, tires are recyclable and can now be recycled into many useful materials, helping to reduce the amount that go to landfill or that are burned.
When most people think about recycling, they usually think about plastic bottles and aluminum cans. But what about tires? Believe it or not, tires are recyclable!
In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about are tires recyclable. We will cover how and where to recycle tires, the benefits of recycling tires, what can be made from recycled tires and more!
Are Tires Recyclable?
Yes, tires can be recycled in many way. They can be broken down and used as a material in other industries or up-cycled and find a new use for when they are no longer able to be used on the road.
Why recycle a tire
When tires come to the end of their life, either through age, damage or being worn down, the usual route for them is to be recycled. Some tires may be suitable for retreading, but this option is not nearly as popular as simply recycling used tires.
This is because the process of retreading tires is very labor-intensive and is only suitable for a minority of tires. It is usually more cost effective to retread a tire than to buy new tires. This is especially true of larger tires that are used on trucks.
Despite this popularity in recycling tires, it is not an easy process. The features of tires that make them so durable – their strength, flexibility and resistance to heat – also make them difficult to recycle. Tires do not degrade naturally so they can sit in landfill for decades, taking up valuable space.
This is why it is so important to recycle tires whenever possible. Not only does it reduce the amount of waste in landfills, but it also helps to conserve resources and energy. It is estimated that only around 50% of all waste tires are actually recycled.
This is out of the estimated 1.5 billion tires a year that go to waste.
Tire recycling process
Tire recycling is a process that takes used or damaged tires and breaks them down into their individual parts or into a new type of material. These parts are then used to create new products, like playground equipment, rubber mats, and more. Not only does this process help to reduce waste, but it also provides a number of benefits.
The first step in recycling tires is to collect them. This can be done by tire retailers, auto repair shops or even from individuals who have a spare tire or two that they no longer need. Once the tires have been collected, they are transported to a recycling facility.
At the recycling facility, the tires are first inspected to see if they are suitable for retreading. If not, the tires go through a process called “shredding”. Shredding involves using large industrial machines to break the tires down into smaller pieces.
Once the tires have been shredded, they are sorted into different types of waste. The most common type of waste from tire recycling is called “crumb rubber”. Crumb rubber is used in a variety of applications such as playgrounds, roadways and artificial turf.
The second most common type of waste from tire recycling is whole tires. Whole tires are used in applications such as tire derived aggregate, landscape mulch and marine break.
Another way tires can be reused is by being used as a TDF, a Tire Derived Fuel. This is usually done in cement kilns, paper mills or power plants by breaking the tires down with thermal decomposition, converting the tire into an oil.
Tires burn for a particularly long time and at a very high temperature, making them an ideal fuel source.
Finally, there are other ways to find uses for old tires, such as at racetracks and go kart tracks to build walls. They can also be upcycled into things like handbags, belts and even furniture!
The benefits of recycling tires
There are a number of benefits to recycling tires. The most obvious benefit is that it helps to reduce waste in landfills. As we mentioned before, tires do not degrade naturally and can sit in landfills for decades, taking up valuable space.
For one, recycling tires helps to conserve resources. This is because it takes less energy and resources to create new products from recycled materials than it does to create them from scratch.
Additionally, recycling tires can also help to create new jobs. In fact, the tire recycling industry employs over 12,000 people in the United States alone!
Finally, recycling tires also helps to reduce pollution. This is because the process of recycling tires uses less energy than creating new products from scratch. Additionally, when tires are burned as fuel, they release fewer emissions than other fossil fuels.
Conclusion
So, next time you get a new set of tires, be sure to recycle your old ones! It’s good for the environment and it helps to create new jobs and reduce pollution.
We hope you enjoyed this article and found it informative. If you have any questions then please leave a comment below or get in touch via email or through social media and we will read and respond to every comment, email or question. Thanks for reading!
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Wow, it’s great that you mentioned how recycling tires contribute to resource conservation. This is because new products made from recycled materials can be produced with less energy and resources. With the climate crisis looming all over us, recycling and living sustainably should reinforce everywhere and I think tire recycling is a great way to help and contribute!