The Never-Ending Problem of Used Tyres: A Global Concern

Problem of Used Tyres

About 1 billion end-of-life tires are generated annually worldwide, and this quantity is only increasing. This is a significant problem as most waste tires are landfilled or incinerated for energy recovery. This waste management approach is not environmentally friendly, as these wastes are highly degraded rubber materials that remain in the environment for long periods of time due to their complex three-dimensional crosslinked structure.

In order to minimize the number of disposable scrap tires as a source of pollution, several approaches have been developed for their reuse and disposal through sustainable and ecofriendly methods that reduce the environmental impact. These include retreading, incineration for energy recovery, pyrolysis and blending (composites) through downsizing for their incorporation into matrices like asphalt, concrete and polymers.

Retreading is a recycling technique that can be applied to most end-of-life truck and passenger car tires, but it requires special conditions to ensure the quality of the tire carcass and to pass the wear and tear inspection [39,40]. This process only consumes 30% of the energy and raw materials required for producing a new tire.

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Many homeowners are not aware that the tires they throw away may be harmful to the environment if they are not properly disposed of. This is especially true for used tires that haven’t been properly inspected, but it also applies to new tires as well.

If you have a large amount of scrap tires to dispose of, it is best to use a sanitary landfill that accepts tires for disposal. This is the only way that you can be certain that your tires are disposed of properly.

The Never-Ending Problem of Used Tyres: A Global Concern

For small amounts of scrap tires, the most simple option is to take them to a tire dealer or retailer that sells new tires and pay the appropriate disposal fee for each tire. You can also use a prepaid waste disposal service.

A great deal of attention has been focused on the recycling of waste tires through ecofriendly and inexpensive methods. This has been achieved by introducing novel recycling technologies, such as retreading, incineration for recovery of energy, pyrolysis for gas and carbon black production and shredding to obtain small particles suitable for the incorporation into a wide range of matrices including asphalt, concrete and polymers.

Moreover, the use of recycled scrap tires as reinforcing agents in composites and asphalt pavements has been introduced to produce products that can reduce the use of virgin materials by up to 70% and decrease their cost by up to 60% while achieving more durable and stronger structures compared to traditional alternatives. This process increases the life expectancy of the composites and their performance characteristics, as they are resistant to bending, dynamic loading and cracking [49,51].

In addition, recycled scrap tires can be used to produce low-cost and green polymer composites. These matrices are used in different applications such as artificial reefs, erosion control, breakwaters, floatation devices, athletic tracks, playground surfaces, and rubberized composites.