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Scrap Tires
3 Min Read
SIXTY PERCENT OF THE RUBBER consumed in the United States is used to make tires. Raw materials used to make tires include rubber (41%), carbon black (28%), steel (15%) and other materials (16%).
In 2004, 323 million new tires were shipped for use by cars and trucks. Of these, 255 million (79%) were for passenger cars, and 58 million (21%) were for trucks. In addition, 68 million (21%) were original equipment tires, and 254 million (79%) were replacement tires for used tires.
In 2003, 291 million scrap tires were generated. Two-thirds were from passenger cars, and the remainder came from trucks, heavy equipment, aircraft, off-road and scrapped vehicles.
Scrap tires present unique recycling and disposal challenges because they are heavy, bulky and made from a variety of materials. The biggest market for scrap tires is tire-derived fuel (TDF), which is a low-sulfur, high-heating-value fuel. Scrap tires can be recycled as whole or split tires, or as crumb (ground) or shredded rubber. Whole tires are used for artificial reefs and playground equipment; split tires for floor mats, belts, and dock bumpers; crumb rubber for mudguards, carpet padding, tracks and athletic surfaces, and rubberized asphalt; and shredded tires are used for road embankment or roadfill material.
Chaz Miller is state programs director for the National Solid Wastes Management Association, Washington, D.C. E-mail the author at: [email protected]
Scrap Tires Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Facts:
Generated:
4.6 million tons or 2% by weight.*
One scrap tire per person per year.
A car scrap tire weighs 20 pounds.
A truck scrap tire weighs 100 pounds.
A steel-belted radial car tire has 2.5 pounds of steel.
Recycled:
1.77 million tons for a 38% recovery rate.*
233 million tires for a 80% recovery rate (2003 industry figures).
Recycled Content:
New tires can have a small amount of recycled rubber.
Retreads contain 75% recycled content.
Composted:
Shredded tire chips can be used as a bulking agent in composting wastewater treatment sludge.
Burned or Landfilled:
2.8 million tons or 1.7% of discarded MSW by weight.*
15,000 Btus per pound, slightly higher than coal.
Unlandfilled scrap tires can be a mosquito breeding area.
If landfilled tires fail to compress, they can rise up and resurface.
33 states ban whole tires from landfills.
12 states ban all scrap tires from landfills.
Scrap Tire Stockpiles:
275 million scrap tires remain in stockpiles.
75% reduction since 1990.
Source Reduction:
Rotate and balance tires every 6,000 miles, and keep at their recommended air pressure levels to ensure longer life.
20 million retreads sold in North America in 2003.
Scrap Tire Markets:
45% of recovered tires go to tire-derived fuel (TDF).
Civil engineering (19%) and ground rubber (10%) are the next largest markets.
Scrap Tire Market Specifications:
Each market has its own specification.
Scrap Tire Value:
Generators usually pay a tip fee.
Sources:
“Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2001 Facts and Figures,” Office of Solid Waste, 2004 http://www.epa.gov/osw
“US Scrap Tire Markets 2003,” Rubber Manufacturers Association, Washington, DC , http://www.rma.org
Tire Retread Information Bureau, http://www.retread.org
*2001 EPA estimates.
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