Last month, we looked at the difficulty in recycling tyres. We mentioned the Tyre Recovery Association who is trying to provide recycling solutions. But what can you actually do with old tyres? After all, as we pointed out last month, tyres aren’t just rubber. They are chemically vulcanised rubber with a cloth and metal interior. They are made to be tough and it’s that toughness that makes them so difficult to recycle.
Difficult, but not impossible.
Clearly, those chemicals used in the vulcanisation process cause many problems and make burning or burying old tyres the worst thing you can do. They are so toxic that recycling really is the only way to deal with them. But how?
For many old tyres, the re-tread industry is the first port of call. Vulcanised rubber is very tough and as long as the main body of the tyre is in good condition a new tread can be applied. This is done by buffing off the old tread and cutting a new one using some very specialised machinery.
However, re-treading can only be done a limited number of times before you find yourself with just another waste tyre. Then, along with all the other damaged tyres, a new use must be found. That’s where our old friends the shredders come into their own. They’re used to rip the old rubber into chunks which are processed and shredded some more. Eventually the rubber crumb that is produced can be put to a number of uses including, athletic and recreational flooring, carpet underlay and industrial rubber matting.
Modern techniques mean that old tyres can also be safely burnt now to produce fuel. The process, called pyrolysis, is not strictly recycling but it does help to keep old tyres out of landfill. And as you know, there are millions of old tyres out there.
New methods of recycling are being developed all the time and soon, we’ll be able to reduce, reuse and recycle just about everything we produce.
Now that’s something we’d love to see.
