From fires to fields: smart policy and market expansion leads to better uses for scrap tires

Just over 40 years ago, on a farm in rural Frederick, Virginia, a mountainous pile of five million scrap tires—derided as "Mount St. Frederick"—was set on fire. No one knows how the fire began, but the ramifications were clear.

The fire burned for over nine months, creating a plume of smoke 4,500 feet tall that could be seen from miles away. The fire was eventually extinguished and remediation efforts to the local environment were made. 

Both public policy and market conditions contributed to the blaze. At that time, there were very few legal ways to dispose of tires. Scrap tires were barred from municipal dumps, including the landfill in Frederick County. As a result, local businesses resorted to paying a local farmer to store their tires on his property. Moreover, there were few ways to reuse tires and turn them into new products at that time, leading most to be discarded.

In the 40 years that have passed, significant strides have been made. The U.S. federal government, state governments, and private companies worked hand-in-hand to clean up hundreds of millions of illegally scrapped tires. 

This effort jump-started the rubber recycling industry, which has led to the recovery and reuse of hundreds of millions of scrap tires across the country. 

The improvement in policy matched developments in the market for recycled rubber. Today, scrap tires can be turned into beneficial, innovative products. For example, scrap tires can be turned into crumb rubber, which can be used as infill for playgrounds that are safer and sports fields that can be used in all weather conditions. 

While the market has improved, the United States produces more tires than ever before. As our recent white paper outlines, the increased adoption of electric vehicles—which are heavier and have increased torque—is expected to increase the number of expected scrap tires generated each year by over 350 million tires a year.

The good news is that we have proven methods to capture, reuse, and recycle tires. Local governments should prioritize the use of recycled rubber in municipal projects, such as in rubber-modified asphalt, which increases the lifespan of roads and reduces costs. At the federal level, the U.S. EPA and Department of Energy should develop grants for expanding uses of recycled rubber—similar to existing programs for plastics recycling. With these common-sense solutions, we can ensure tires can contribute to the circular economy.