You may have seen a tire floating in a lake nearby you. You may have even driven by lots filled with walls of stacked, old tires.
Has this ever concerned you?
In the US, nearly 280 million tires are discarded each year. That is about one tire per person in the US.
“Around 11 percent of these tires are reused, leaving roughly 250 million scrap tires to be managed annually.” The state of Pennsylvania’s DOT claims.
Tires are made with difficult material to recycle and an odd shape – 75% of it is void space that consumes valuable space especially in landfills.
Many people burn tires to eliminate them, but it causes high risk of air pollution.
So, what should we do about tire waste?
We took a look at some champion tire recyclers for ideas and got some extra recycling encouragement. Here are a few repurposed and recycled tires that might ‘wow’ you.
Recycled Tires for Function
Worn tires soon to be recycled as material for new roads
One strategic solution in effect is mixing tire rubber with asphalt to make pavement for roads. While this process is not a new concept, the research happening is able to study the way ground rubber interacts with specific additives and ensure safety and durability. This method seems to be a great solution for both waste elimination and road improvement. Roads are built stronger and reduce noise immensely – a win-win for all parties involved. Keep up the research!
All it took was a problem-solver, named Tom Hanson, to birth an incredible device. He came up with the idea and had the drive to get funded and supported to build and test a tire log. A tire log is a utility pole made out of scrap tires for a more flexible, and safe utility pole alternative. Read about his story and the current stage of this product.
Old Tires Recycled Into Batteries With New Carbon Tech
Here is the ultimate, eco-friendly purpose for recycled tires due to its dual impact: “Recycled tires could see new life in lithium-ion batteries that provide power to plug-in electric vehicles and store energy produced by wind and solar, say researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.” Read about it in great detail and you may also become a fan of this incredible idea.
Here’s a thought for those with appreciation for slightly off-beat designs, take a look at chairs made from recycled tires. They are neat, comfortable and an eye-catching accent for any space. You could spruce up your office with a touch of eclectic chairs around your conference table. Or put one at your desk or in the corner of your family room for something unique and creative!
Learn and See Tire Uses and Facts
Recycled tires can become comfortable mats or stair toppers. They have even been used to create a fun jungle gym for children to play on or neat looking sculptures. Check out some of their uses and gander at the photo examples for ideas.
25 Rad Items Made from Recycled Tires
In finding this post, we hit the tire recycling jackpot with this post! 25 spectacular ideas like shoes, belts, jewelry, chairs and roofs all from recycled tires. The ideas range from the simple to the mindblowing. We were blown away by the thought of crocheting a mat out of tire scrap. And, one glance at the unbelievable parquet flooring got us redesigning our office floors.
Building Structures with Recycled Tires
We learned that rubber tires are actually great for insulation! These architectures are magnificent examples of useful reuses for scrap tires. Georgia Tech faculty and students made a self-sustainable structure made largely out of old tires; bravo!
Recycled Tires Become High Style Wine Rack
As the title suggests, this author recommends a trendy, eco-friendly wine rack for your bicycle. She suggests that it’s a better alternative to purchasing leather straps and she suggests a company who makes these stylish wine racks. Maybe you could even attempt making your own DIY rubber straps as a wine rack for your bicycle. Urbanites would likely use them a great deal!
Scrap Car Summer Fun with TIRES -Recycling at its best!
Tire swings are a blast. A little paint makes them a fun outside decoration. They have many uses – one being a plant holder. Kids and adults alike have their fun on a tire swing, so instead of buying one next spring season make your own tire swing from used tires.
Execs: Recycled tires gaining traction in market
We are thrilled to see that rubber recycling is on an incline as is awareness. They are now able to use old tires to make athletic field turf.”Synthetic turf for athletic fields has a sustainable layer of crumb rubber that ensures its stability and cushioning capabilities.” Even more hopeful is that the whole thing seems to be fairly cost effective.
Shred Tires in a Dust Free Environment – ECO Green
Have you ever seen a tire shredder in action? This video is a pretty cool thing – it shows an environmental friendly, dust free shredder in action. It’s pretty impressive to see!
