Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) has begun producing carbon black from recycled tires. MCG creates carbon black by crushing tires in its coke ovens, and the company reports that the recycled carbon black is comparable to new carbon black. MCG plans to bring its recycled carbon black to market in 2026.

University College of Cork announced a new research plan to investigate best practices for recycling tires throughout Ireland. Researchers will weigh the benefits and costs of recycling, pyrolysis, devulcanization, and gasification. The project comes as Ireland seeks a more optimal strategy for its end-of-life tires: Ireland collected 63,000 tons of tires in 2022.

New Zealand announced a national tire recycling program. Under the new "Tyrewise" scheme, tire shops can have their tires collected for free and individuals can recycle up to five tires per day at public collection sites.

Waukegan Park District, a suburb outside of Chicago, is planning to renovate Roosevelt Park into the city's first almost fully inclusive recreational facility, replacing wood chips in the playground with Poured-In-Place surfaces made from recycled rubber to enhance accessibility for children with disabilities. The renovation, estimated to cost $1.5 million, aims to create a fully accessible playground while making much of the 12.7-acre park as inclusive as possible.

The Global Sustainable Tire Materials market is projected to grow from $34.9 million in 2023 to $46.38 million by 2032. This growth is driven by increasing demand for eco-friendly tire components, including recycled rubber and bio-based materials, amid stringent carbon emission regulations and circular economy strategies.

The Scrap Tire Research and Education Foundation (STREF) has been awarded $3.8 million by the US Environmental Protection Agency to develop Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for the tire recycling industry. The grant is part of a broader $160 million initiative under the Inflation Reduction Act, aimed at reducing climate pollution from construction materials. The EPDs will detail the environmental impacts of recycled tire products and support the use of ground tire rubber in asphalt, improving pavement life and fuel efficiency.

Ohio State Representative Rodney Creech held a press briefing to discuss House Bill 605, which would require all professional sports fields in Ohio to be natural grass. The bipartisan bill, backed by the NFL Players Association, aims to mandate at least 90% grass coverage. This would pose a particular problem for the Cincinnati Bengals, who recently installed a new turf field in their stadium. The legislation would not impact high school or college fields.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation awarded a $50,000 grant to Friendly Environment, a company specializing in tire processing and sustainable erosion and sediment control, from the Tire Environmental Act Program to purchase equipment for its scrap tire processing operations. Friendly Environment will match the grant with an additional $50,000 to improve the efficiency of its shredding operations, which began in 2020 and have since processed over 600,000 scrap tires.

Michigan is pushing to expand the use of "rubber-modified asphalt," a mixture of ground rubber and asphalt, for road paving to help better utilize the state's scrap tires. Despite initial challenges and limited adoption, advancements in technology have made this method more feasible and the state is now providing grants to promote its use, citing benefits like reduced road noise and longer-lasting pavement.

A recent survey from the National Asphalt Pavement Association shows that the use of recycled tire rubber in asphalt mixtures has increased significantly since 2021, rising by 189%. The survey highlights that recycled materials, including tire rubber, reduce the need for new asphalt binder and aggregate, thereby conserving natural resources and reducing landfill waste.

Tire recyclers in the UK are urging policymakers to take action on the treatment and export of end-of-life tires and promoting increased domestic tire recycling. Leaders of the National Tire Recovery Association issued a five-point call for action to policymakers as current government policy in the UK has hundreds of thousands of tires exported out of the country to other major markets with inadequate regulatory authorities.

The Collaborative for Health and Environment hosted a webinar on EU research findings on the impact of micro- and nanoplastics on public health. Dr. Hubert Dirven, Department Director at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, presented research on the safety of crumb rubber used as an infill in artificial turf fields. While the results detected some chemical exposure from crumb rubber and noted minor immune responses, Dr. Dirven emphasized that the results were not conclusive enough to determine the safety or risk of using crumb rubber and other infill products in artificial turf fields.

The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) and the Tire Industry Association (TIA) have established the Tire Recycling Foundation to fund research, education, and projects addressing gaps in the tire recycling supply chain. The foundation aims to achieve 100% recycling of end-of-life tires into sustainable markets.

New Saanich in British Columbia, Canada is getting an upgraded splash pad this summer featuring safety surfacing for the playground that will be a blend of engineered wood fiber and recycled rubber tires. This recycled rubber surface was partially funded by the Tire Stewardship of British Columbia grant program.

Georgia doubled the budget of the state's recycling trust fund to $7.6 million in 2023, increased its grantmaking ability for local governments to use recycled rubber, following the implementation of reforms to the program.

Leadership from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation highlighted the benefits from the use and application of recycled rubber in rubber-modified asphalt at the Good Roads conference.

A section of road between Lansing and Jackson had been sinking for years.

Adding more layers of asphalt to the stretch of Bellevue Road only sped up the problem. So the Ingham County Road Department turned to a new strategy, dubbed “road lasagna” by the Rieth Riley Construction crew renovating the road.

Named by after the Italian dish, the technique involves layering materials to offer stability beneath the surface. In this case, the layers included old tires filled with aggregate -- particulate like sand, gravel and stone -- along with shredded scrap tire and geotextile fabric.

“There are several places that have successfully used this,” said Kirsten Clemens, the scrap tire program coordinator for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. “As far as I know, this is the first application of this in Michigan.”

For the Bellevue project, the process worked like this: The tires are placed in two rows in the bottom of the trench and filled with aggregate. A layer of aggregate is put over top, then a layer of scrap tire aggregate followed by a layer of geotextile fabric. The process is repeated three times before the road is eventually prepared and paved.

In total, the project used about 30,000 scrap tires and was complete in less than a week.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) announced that a new application for crumb rubber is now ready to open pipelines to more end markets for Australia’s circular tyre economy, with value for a wide range of sectors including construction, tyre recycling, as well as manufacturing.

The solution, dubbed T-Lok Rubber Safety Barrier, was developed by the University of Melbourne and Saferoads, with funding and support from TSA.

It has been recommended for acceptance by the Austroads Safety Barrier Assessment Panel and is now ready to go to market, TSA revealed in a press release.

TSA emphasised that this Australian-designed, manufactured and built solution will boost used tyre recovery – 1 kilometre of T-Lok barriers consumes 12 tonnes of recycled rubber which is the equivalent of 2,000 passenger tyres.

According to projections, the product might consume up to 60,000 (360 tonnes) passenger tires annually, provided that the industry supports this invention and seizes the chance to meet its goals for recycled materials.

The inclusion of rubber crumb derived from tyres enhances the flexibility and durability of the concrete barrier resulting in better energy absorption, reduced risk to vehicle occupants and increased barrier lifespan, TSA revealed.

WasteExpo 2023 is right around the corner and for some attendees, it can mean a big step in the right direction for their ongoing efforts in sustainability and innovation.

Four different teams are competing for prizes and will attempt to win over potential investors at the WasteExpo Pitch Slam. These teams have been hard at work finding new and innovative ways to help communities with waste and promote sustainability. Each team will put on a presentation for an audience and take questions from those attending to see what each team is up to and how they’re impacting communities and achieving goals.

Recently, Waste360 spoke to Birch Biosciences and VMX International about the Pitch Slam event and issues that the industry is facing. Now, we’ll hear from the Porous Pave & BSG Tire Recycling and DeliverZero teams ahead of the big event.

Porous Pave & BSG Tire Recycling are teaming up to help transform scrap tires into ADA compliant permeable paving solutions. The Michigan based innovators want to turn used tires into new materials such as bunker lines for golf courses and tree surrounds.

Porous Pave Inc. was founded in 2006 and since has eliminated more than 10 million lbs. of scrap tires from landfills and transformed them into more than 5 million square feet of paving solutions. BSG Tire Recycling was founded in 2021 and have committed to achieving 100% diversion of scrap tires away from landfills.

Rubber products are a staple in our lives because of how versatile, durable and cost-effective they are. They provide even more benefits in their second life once recycled, helping communities lower their carbon footprint and reduce waste. But too few policymakers understand the advantages of recycled rubber, let alone actively promote its use.

This lack of awareness has consequential impacts on public health. Discarded tires—whether in regular landfills or illicit dumps—are breeding grounds for mosquitos, rats and diseases carried by these pests, creating serious health hazards for communities across the U.S. In the 1980s, USTMA estimated that more than a billion end-of-life tires (ELTs) were being housed in stockpiles across the U.S.

Recognizing the environmental and public health effects of illegal tire dumping, the U.S. government began a serious push in the 1990s to clean up these hundreds of millions of illegally scrapped tires, according to the EPA. Working with federal, state and local governments, rubber recycling helped to clean up over 95% of stockpiled scrap tires.

Recently, the U.S. has lost its edge in global tire recycling, risking the consequences that come with the dangerous stockpiles. In 2013, the U.S. led the world with 96% of ELTs either being recycled or going to other secondary uses. Since then, America’s recycling rate has seen a steady decline, falling below Europe's in 2019 (the most recent year data is available for both Europe and the U.S.), with Europe recycling 91% compared to America's 76%.

“We have an objective of 100% of scrap tires being delivered into sustainable and circular end-use markets,” noted John Sheerin, director of end-of-life tire programs for the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association. However, he warned increased scrap tire generation is outstripping an increase in recycling. “As a result, we’ve been losing ground on our percent recycled for some time.”

The association’s most recent U.S. Scrap Tire Management Report showed that in 2021 about 71% of scrap tires were delivered to end-use markets.

The recycling market “unfortunately has been not growing enough,” Sheerin said, “and we are seeing more scrap tires going to landfill as a result.”

A separate challenge is scrap tires in illegal or abandoned stockpiles. In 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated there were over 1 billion scrap tires. industry experts contend that expanding the markets for materials recycled from scrap tires will be an ongoing effort.

Tire-derived aggregate — tire chips that can be used in construction — is another product with a growing market, Gust said. Recycled tires are also processed into landscaping mulch, and backing for artificial turf and flooring. Whole tires are used in playgrounds.

Tiremakers are looking into changing up the mix of materials in their products, to increase recyclable and renewable ingredients. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Bridgestone and Continental have announced intentions to use certain percentages of sustainable and renewable materials in their tires.

Report includes impactful policy recommendations to manage tire waste responsibly

WASHINGTON, DC (2/13/23) –

Recent high-profile instances of illegal tire dumping in Washington, DC, and Houston, Texas have renewed attention on how to better manage waste tires. While there is widespread agreement to prevent tires from ending up in landfills and illegal dump sites–where they pose risks to human health and the environment–the U.S. needs more cohesive policies to support reusing the tires. State and federal policies must support sustainable end uses for waste tires and not enact short-sighted policies with unintended consequences.

That is why, for the first time ever, the Recycled Rubber Coalition (RRC) is releasing a white paper that includes background on the waste tire industry, case studies, and policy recommendations for how to improve tire management and encourage greater levels of recycling.

Washington, DC – A new report from the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) shows opportunities to expand end-use tire markets and improve tire recycling rates to keep pace with annual scrap tire generation.

The 15th 2021 Scrap Tire Management Report found that markets consumed 71 percent of annually generated scrap tires in 2021, down from about 76 percent reported in 2019. This decrease is due primarily to a nearly 13 percent increase in scrap tire generation, while markets to consume them increased by six percent. However, even with this small reduction, scrap tires outperform metal, glass, aluminum, plastic and paper recycling rates. Only automotive batteries and corrugated cardboard have a higher recycling rate.

The results of the report were shared in a recent webinar with hundreds of attendees, including representatives from municipal, state and federal government agencies, scrap tire recycling companies and transportation organizations. As part of its sustainability agenda, USTMA’s members share the goal that all scrap tires enter sustainable and circular end-use markets, and as an industry, have focused on the growth of scrap tire markets for over 30 years.

“We see scrap tire recycling as a key part of our role in supporting a sustainable circular economy and we have been steadfast in our efforts to promote market expansion,” said Anne Forristall Luke, president and CEO of USTMA. “USTMA will continue its commitment to expand markets and help advance opportunities for scrap tire technologies through work with our value chain partners, federal and state policymakers, academia and NGOs.”

“With the latest U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warning that it is now or never to address climate change, sustainability has never been a more urgent priority. A great way to reduce our environmental footprint is to make efforts toward a circular economy, which involves reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials into new products. To achieve a circular world, addressing sustainability in infrastructure is critical. While infrastructure provides the underpinnings for society at large, projects may disrupt ecosystems and have the potential for noise, air and water impacts that exponentially increase as development grows.

Rubber recycling presents an excellent opportunity to make progress toward an entirely circular economy. When the rubber recycling industry first emerged, it was largely out of necessity due to the environmental degradation occurring from rubber being put in landfills and dumped illegally. However, this system of recovery and secondary usage now keeps more than 225 million tires out of landfills each year, while supporting nearly 8,500 jobs with an estimated economic impact of $2.47 billion.” (Source: Doug Carlson, Well News, 11/7/22)

“There is an ever present, near constant need to find new and more sustainable answers for the asphalt and paving industry. Advances with reclaimed asphalt pavement allow for old roads and surfaces to be milled up and returned to plants, treated and then reincorporated along with virgin aggregates. That is one solution, and a valuable resource. It does have some drawbacks if you are a smaller contractor who may not have access to the sophisticated sorting required for maximum recycling, or if your primary service needs don't usually call for its use altogether.

An alternative sustainable product is seeing large gains and new growth with new investments into ecologically green markets. Rubber modified asphalt (RMA) is made from used and reclaimed tires, broken down, cleaned, and then ground into "crumb rubber". It isn't treated to undergo any sort of chemical changes, it's just the same rubber. It has seen wide adoption and success in municipalities and areas across thirty-two different states.”

The benefits reported included:

1) “Tire Recapture”

2) “Project Savings”

3) “Increased Longevity”

4) “Driver Benefits”

5) “Less Frequent Maintenance”

(Source: Brandon Nowl, ForConstructionPros.com, 9/22/22)

“The only solution it seems—short of billions of delivery drones, flying trucks and teleportation—is to fix the way roads are made.

The majority are made from asphalt, essentially crushed rock mixed with bitumen binder, a fossil fuel residue. Asphalt is versatile, but bitumen can soften when it gets too hot. And because it's black, asphalt absorbs light more easily and warms quickly. Under higher temperatures with traffic rolling over it, the mixture can deform into ruts and bumps. The higher the temperature, the more damage is done and the more repair is needed. “

“There are indeed many bitumen blends, each with their own unique characteristics. Depending on how it's formulated, polymer-modified bitumen can make an asphalt road more resistant to deformation so it won't rut at increasingly higher temperatures. But local officials in most places have been using historical data to guide their bitumen recipes, and they haven't kept pace with the reality of a warming climate.

According to Stephen Muench, a professor of the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Washington, a key part of the solution is shifting design to incorporate predictive climate models.”

“In South Africa, where potholes cost drivers an estimated $3.4 billion annually, engineers at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have been perfecting the use of rubber crumb—ground-up material made from waste rubber products like old tires—instead of virgin polymers. The same technique is now used in the US, Australia and the UK. Evidence suggests crumb rubber improves the fatigue properties of roads, delaying cracking. And in addition to using recycled material, the technique is cheaper than less sustainable technologies. “ (Source: William Ralston, Bloomberg, 8/18/22)

“State departments of transportation are missing out on opportunities to use recycled tire rubber in asphalt mixes for roads, according to the Recycled Rubber Coalition.

The coalition reports that U.S. tire recycling dropped to 76% in 2019 from its peak of 96% in 2013. With federal infrastructure funding reaching state DOTs and incentives to reduce paving’s carbon footprint, the coalition says there’s a great opportunity to use some of that money to use scrap tires to create rubber-modified asphalt, or RMA.

RMA can reduce costs, improve driving conditions, help the environment, reduce road noise and increase pavement life, the coalition says. It can also help keep the 300 million tires scrapped each year in the U.S. out of landfills.

Stratton Kirton, a spokesman for the coalition, sees the additional road infrastructure funding as a potential way to close the gap and get back to previous recycling levels of 96%.

‘You have some states that have really embraced it,’ Stratton says, citing California and Arizona. ‘A lot of states sort of use it sporadically.’ In all, 32 states use or plan to use RMA in test or field projects, according to the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.”

“Kirton says the Recycled Rubber Coalition’s goal is two-fold: that states and localities use some of the federal infrastructure funding for RMA and also talk about why they’re using RMA and its benefits.

‘The more that people know about it,’ he says, ‘the more demand there's going to be to use it because you have the benefits for drivers, the benefits for the public and the benefits for the environment.’” (Source: Don McLoud, Equipment World, 8/11/22)

“As a roofing business owner in Denver, Colorado, Kyle Shirley understands and embraces the innovative roofing products that can be found through the commercial and residential new construction and roof replacement industry. One such innovation making inroads in the roofing industry is the use of rubber modified roofing products derived from recycled tires. But the roofing industry is not alone – industries from recreation to road construction have turned to rubber modified asphalt products for use in many types of applications.

One such innovation making inroads in the roofing industry is the use of rubber modified roofing products derived from recycled tires. But the roofing industry is not alone – industries from recreation to road construction have turned to rubber modified asphalt products for use in many types of applications.

According to Shirley, the use of rubber modified roofing products that are made from recycled tires are actually more often used in residential roofing applications. The idea came from a new Canadian roofing product manufacturer (GEM, Inc.) in the early 2000s and was initially slow to succeed.

‘But after they gained mainstream success, one of the major asphalt shingle manufacturers, Malarkey Roofing, took a liking to the idea and began using recycled tires in their own products in 2019,’ Shirley said. The GEM Inc. products are rubberized/synthetic roof shingles and the Malarkey products are rubber-modified asphalt shingles.

‘The use of rubber not only makes sense from a material reuse perspective, but the roofing products that result are some of the most durable in the entire industry,’ Shirley said.

In recent years Shirley and his team at Sol Vista Roofing have noticed more specific requests from customers for the two known products that use recycled tires.” (Source: Maura Keller, American Recycler, 8/1/22)

“Breaking the norm of station design and platform installation by removing concrete and brick, the Footprint Modular Platform’s walls are built from individual 100% recycled rubber blocks.

These blocks have been perfectly sized and weighted for manual handling and designed to simplify the construction process by minimising the requirement for on-track plant.

Through this new approach, a saving of more than 25,000 kgs of carbon dioxide emissions can be achieved for a typical 36-metre platform extension, when compared to traditional construction methods.

Manufactured in the UK by Rosehill Rail, using a proprietary cold cure compression moulding process, to ensure short lead times.

The Footprint Modular Platform is made to Network Rail specifications and will be distributed through civils merchant Scott Parnell’s extensive network.

Each platform can be faced to match the existing aesthetics of the station and the system is part of Scot Parnell’s bespoke product range, a growing range of innovative solutions available to the UK rail sector.

Principal Engineer, Ben King, said: ‘We’re very proud to be the design partner of this innovative, low-carbon solution, which reflects our business’ purpose of improving quality of life through the production of sustainable infrastructure.

The platform system is also simple to construct, which will reduce the associated health and safety risks of site working on the rail network, providing benefits to all.’” (Source: Aaron Morby, Construction Enquirer, 7/15/22)

“Roads suffer through a lot. Heavy trucks roll, spin, and brake on them; rain seeps through; and the sun beats down. As a result, they swell, sink, and crack; then the cracks fill up with snow and ice, which widens them even further. Much of that happens because typical roads are made of rock and salt aggregates, which don’t bond well with asphalt and end up disintegrating under all that pressure. But changing up the recipe can help.

In a new study, a team of engineers at Australia’s RMIT University has found that a specific amount of crumb rubber, made from old tires that get ground up into a fine powder, can act as a sunscreen for roads. This both helps the roads to last longer and prevents old tires from being sent to a landfill.

Crumb rubber is already used in many roads, but until now researchers have been testing only how it can protect roads against heat and moisture. This study suggests that UV radiation may have an equally big impact, providing yet another reason to use rubber in asphalt.”

“The benefits are extensive: Rubber can help make asphalt roads less brittle in the winter and stiffer in the summer; it can make them safer by reducing skidding and increasing traction; and it can dampen the sound of highways, negating the need for sound barriers. (Roads around Phoenix have even been touted as ‘quiet roads’ with a decibel level that’s 12% lower than conventional roads.)

Using rubber also gives old tires a new lease on life. Australia produces almost 460,000 tons of waste tires a year, causing ‘mountains of tires’ as Filippo Giustozzi, an associate professor at RMIT and the lead author of the study, calls it. Giustozzi says that Australia recycles 70% of used tires, but 30%—150,000 tons—still end up in the landfill. This is especially true for mining tires, which are larger and harder to recycle because transporting them from remote mining sites can be expensive.” (Source: Elissaveta M. Brandon, Fast Company, 6/10/22)

The Recycled Rubber Coalition (RRC) released its policy primer on rubber-modified asphalt (RMA), an asphalt mixture that blends crumb rubber with traditional asphalt materials. The primer details what rubber-modified asphalt is, where it is currently used, and its benefits for road construction.

As states continue receiving and distributing funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which invests $110 billion in surface transportation infrastructure, local policymakers have the opportunity to create long-lasting, sustainable infrastructure. Using money allocated by the BIL on RMA would enable states to get the most out of these funds given it reduces rutting and cracking and provides life-cycle savings of over 40 percent compared to traditional asphalt.

"Rubber-modified asphalt is a win-win-win. Local governments win by making taxpayer dollars go further, the environment wins by reducing emissions and keeping scrap tires out of landfills, and drivers win with smoother, quieter roads," said coalition spokesperson Stratton Kirton.

In May 2022, 16 stakeholder organizations sent a joint letter to White House Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu highlighting recycled rubber technologies that can benefit national infrastructure projects. The letter reads:

“As you begin the process of implementing the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we write to share our appreciation for this important work and to offer you the full support and, as needed, technical expertise of America’s tire manufacturers and recyclers. Our organizations work to keep end-of-life tires out of landfills by promoting strong, societally beneficial markets for scrap tires, and we support efforts to rebuild and improve America’s roadways using technologies that will increase driver safety and ensure reductions in environmental impacts.

In that spirit, we wish to call your attention to two materials ideally suited to meeting the goals of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and to fulfilling the Biden Administration’s mission to minimize waste, advance pollution prevention, support markets for recycled products, and promote a transition to a circular economy:”

“Rubber-Modified Asphalt (RMA) is a mixture of asphalt with ground rubber from end-of-life scrap tires that deliver proven economic, environmental, and performance benefits in building better longer lasting roads and highways.“

“Tire-Derived Aggregate (TDA) is made from recycled scrap tires and is a cost-effective infill material for roadside embankments, retaining walls, and stormwater infiltration galleries.“

“Old tires recycled to rubber surfacing will create the base of Carter Park’s new inclusive playground.”

“Some features that make this playground inclusive include: a 5-foot high artificial turf hillside covered in slides, a wheelchair-accessible log for kids to explore and a 7-foot high climbing course.

Bowling Green Sustainability and Public Outreach Coordinator Amanda Gamby explained how rubber surfacing is key to making the playground fully accessible.

‘A big component of that is a poured in place rubber surface, and that has quite a few purposes, one for accessibility, so folks in wheelchairs or with mobility devices can easily access the equipment,’ Gamby said. ‘But, it also has some components in terms of the coloring that’s used to provide safe spaces for folks who are visually impaired.’” (Source: Megan Finke, BG News, 3/17/22)

“The Voice of Play, an organization connected to the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) outline five things to consider about playground safety. Their list included the following questions: Is the playground age appropriate, is the playground surface safe, is the playground's surrounding environment safe, and is the playground well maintained?

Their first consideration, is the playground age appropriate, focuses on the size of the equipment matching the age group it is designed for. "The intended age group should be somewhat obvious from the design and scale of the equipment, but signs posted in the area - or on the equipment - should also give you some guidance as to their age appropriateness."

IPEMA's recommendations for the surfacing are to use what they consider to be the best and most accessible surfaces which are poured in place (PIP), rubber mulch, and artificial turf. Additionally, they suggest that proper surface fill must be eight to twelve inches deep especially under swings and slides.” (Source: Landscape Architect Staff, Landscape Architect, 2/23/22)

“Most end-of-life tires are already recovered. Circularity is the next step.

The bulk of ELT are already recovered, according to the 2019 Global ELT Management report from the Tire Industry Project (TIP), a CEO-led sustainability forum for the tire industry that sits under the umbrella of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Within the 45 countries considered, accounting for over 80 percent of the world’s vehicles in use, 86 percent of ELT were recovered. These findings represent a significant improvement over the last few decades. Only 30 years ago, the United States was recovering 17 percent of its ELT, compared to 75 percent in 2019.

The tire industry continues to roll along, and its next destination is circularity.”

“Understanding the importance of research for continued progress, as a whole, TIP members focus on advancing global knowledge about ELT management (through initiatives like its state of knowledge reports). Tire manufacturers, recyclers and regulators are all calling for more research and innovation in support of the sustainable management of ELT. Last year, the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) reported a 20 percent decrease in tire recycling nationwide since 2013, noting the importance of market development.

‘Three decades after we successfully eliminated 94 percent of the over 1 billion scrap tires stockpiled around the country, this report reveals that efforts to find and develop new uses for scrap tires have stalled,’ Anne Forristall Luke, president and CEO of USTMA, said in a statement. ‘We must take immediate steps to grow new and existing markets to recycle 100 percent of scrap tires. This not only protects our health and the environment — it drives innovation and jobs.’” (Source: Triple Pundit Editors, Sponsored by The Tire Industry Project, Triple Pundit, 11/29/21)

“Western Rubber Products (WRP), a division of Liberty Tire Recycling, recycles more than five million tires annually and repurposes them into new and diverse consumer products to contribute to Canada’s circular economy.”

“‘We started this company in 1989 with three individuals. Over the innovation, the drive and working with many partners, today we have 120 full-time positions,’ said Neil Bansal, WRP’s Regional Vice-President. ‘A couple of decades ago, waste was quite substantial in the province, however over time, we can honestly say we actually are recycling 99.9 percent of the tires in B.C. that are currently being discarded.’”

“Recycled products, like decorated mulch, are in high demand and different grades of ‘crumb rubber’ are used in the production of residential and industrial rubber mats, athletic surfaces, landscaping and a wide range of other applications where durability is paramount.”

‘Innovation is at the forefront of WRP as it invests in cutting edge products for repurposed tires and supports the equipment required to get each done,’ said Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. ‘It’s that kind of forward thinking that has led to it celebrating 100 million tires as part of Waste Reduction Week. This type of initiative leads to a cleaner province and more opportunities for everyone.’” (Source: Mark Booth, The Delta Optimist, 10/20/2021)

Last year, the National Lieutenant Governors Association adopted a resolution in support of utilizing recycled scrap tires for rubber-modified asphalt, an innovative asphalt product with "demonstrated performance, safety and environmental benefits."

The resolution states: "NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Lieutenant Governors Association recognizes the use of scrap tires in rubber modified asphalt and stormwater infiltration galleries as solutions to advance the development of sustainable infrastructure.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Lieutenant Governors Association encourages projects to demonstrate and further research the potential benefits of infrastructure projects that create more sustainable roadways and drive markets for recycled materials, such as scrap tires.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Lieutenant Governors Association will be an engaged forum for collaboration among states to pursue investments in high-quality, durable transportation infrastructure that increases driver safety and mitigates environmental impacts." (Source: National Lieutenant Governors Association, 7/2020)

“But playgrounds should be a safe place for all children to enjoy, regardless of one’s level of bravery, strength or limitations.

So it’s with great relief and joy that parents, government officials and advocacy groups are behind a movement for more inclusive playgrounds.

An article in Monday’s Gazette highlighted some of the local efforts to make playgrounds not only safer, but more accessible to all children.

That includes children with disabilities, who otherwise would either have to visit playgrounds specially designed for their needs or just sit longingly on the sidelines while other children played.

One major problem with the old playgrounds was accessibility.

To cushion the blow from falls, the old hard ground was covered with thick sand, and then wood chips. But that made it difficult for kids who use leg braces, wheelchairs or those who just have trouble managing that kind of surface to even reach the equipment. New surfaces that use recycled rubber or cinders have helped tremendously.” (Source: Gazette Editorial Board, The Daily Gazette, 10/5/21)

"Speed bumps made from recycled rubber are being installed as existing traffic-calming measures are replaced in South Shields, which council bosses say are an eco-friendly alternative to the more ‘carbon-intensive’ asphalt road humps."

“Cllr Ernest Gibson, lead member for area management and community safety, said: ‘As we drive forward our climate change ambitions, we are always looking at innovative new ways of operating, from energy improvements and carbon reduction measures in our buildings to using more sustainable products where we can.’”

"'This new product is made from recycled materials and is a more sustainable alternative to the bitumen-based cushions, which need to be formed on site and left to cool. It is also more durable, which helps to reduce maintenance costs in the future.'"

"The council say using new sustainable products contributes to its climate change ambitions and helps it to deliver on one of its key priorities of investing in the environment." (Source: Tom Patterson, The Shields Gazette 9/22/21)

“A section of Otley Road in Eldwick has recently been resurfaced by Bradford Council’s highway maintenance north team using a product developed by Tarmac that utilises granulated rubber from recycled tyres.

Tarmac’s ULTIPAVE R solution became the first rubber-modified asphalt in the UK to receive BBA HAPAS approval earlier this year. Tarmac says that, when used with its ULTILOW warm mix technology, further sustainability benefits are delivered saving an average 3.5kg of CO2e per tonne compared to traditional asphalts.”

“Depending on the thickness of the road surfacing, Tarmac says it has calculated that up to 750 waste tyres could be recycled in every kilometre of road resurfaced with the ULTIPAVE R solution, which can help reduce the 120,000 tonnes of rubber waste including 500,000 tyres that are exported from the UK annually.” (Source: Liam McLoughlin, Aggregates Business 9/22/21)

"The asphalt is more durable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly than bitumen, Mayor Robby Walsh said.

'[The] council is eager to try this new crumb rubber on our roads,' he said. 'By reducing the amount of car and truck tyres accumulating in landfill, we are continuing to do our part to create a sustainable future.' The council has put out a tender for works on Martin Street at Wynyard and has flagged Raglan Street at Somerset as a future crumb rubber project."

"As for the tendency for potholes, Cr Walsh said its elastic properties made the roads less prone to cracking." (Source: Claudia Williams, The Advocate, 8/20/21)

“There’s a lot of news about millions of job vacancies around the U.S. But for U.S. Rubber Recycling, that’s not an issue. The Colton, Calif.-based company, which diverts worn tires from landfills and turns them into rubber flooring for gyms and other places, runs a hiring program for formerly incarcerated people, who comprise about 50% of the firm’s workforce. That’s also really helped during a time when the company has experienced a hefty increase in demand.”

“Last year, the company diverted about 9 million pounds of tires headed for landfills. This year, it’s on track to hit 15 million.” (Source: Anne Field, Forbes 8/16/21)

“MoDOT Pavement Engineer Jason Blomberg said using alternative recycling materials could provide a more sustainable pavement solution for the future. If successful, the pavement solution could help recycle tons of waste.

‘There’s not only a reduction of solid waste materials but it also lowers the energy to construct a pavement, which lowers the overall carbon footprint of the whole construction process,’ Blomberg said. ‘It’s a win-win for the environment.’” (Source: Joy Mazur, The Columbia Missourian 8/11/21)

"This range of experiences is equally important with material finishes, which Harkema explains 'produce different sensory experiences.' The base material throughout is recycled rubber often found in play spaces for its cushioning properties and resilience. Then there are accent materials: The table is made of plywood stained red to go with the rubber, itself a vibrant shade of orange. In the active zone, artificial turf provides a 'grippy' texture you can lean against or climb, and in the calm zone, the netted hammock supports people lounging. Throughout, the space is made of peaks and valleys, highs and lows that provide balanced stimulation and help define a multitude of different micro areas at once." (Source: Elissaveta M. Bradon, Fast Company 8/9/21)

“There are many uses beside recycled tables for old tires. When it’s time to change a tire, there is often quite a bit of rubber left, according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI). This material can be used to create new products, from swings and playground mulch to safer, more durable highways, according to the ISRI. In 2016, 136 million tires were processed by the U.S. recycling industry, according to ISRI. The rubber is processed through shredding knives or cryogenic freezing, then crushing before going into products like synthetic turf fields or roofing tiles.” (Source: Doug Carder, The Miami County Republic 8/9/21)

Scientists at RMIT University in Australia have made a breakthrough in sustainable construction materials by developing good quality concrete in which 100% of the coarse aggregate has been replaced with recycled tires. This innovative use of tire waste not only reduces the environmental impact of tire disposal but also has the potential to significantly lower manufacturing and transportation costs and support the circular economy.

In recent years, numerous studies have demonstrated how discarded tires can be used to create sustainable concrete that is more heat-resistant, stronger, and flexible enough for use as road material. This is important as tires can be a significant source of waste, and finding ways to recycle them can help to reduce the environmental impact of tire disposal.

Most of these efforts involved replacing some of the aggregate used in concrete with old, shredded rubber tires. However, scientists at RMIT University have now successfully developed good quality concrete in which 100% of the coarse aggregate has been replaced with recycled tires, promising a boost for the circular economy.

The incorporation of recycled tire waste into concrete can provide numerous benefits, including the promotion of a circular economy through lower manufacturing and transportation costs.