Upcycling tires for use on your property is a creative and thrifty way to keep your used tires out of the land fill. Such as a tire swing or plant holder.
The internet is full of fun DIY ways to upcycle tires; check out this search result. But not everyone has space to let their crafty side flourish.
So, here are a few ways tires can be recycled commercially and how Trinity helps keep them out of the local landfills.
The world produced a staggering three billion tires in 2019 alone and an estimated 2.5 million tires are thrown away yearly. Tires are meant for single use, typically lasting three to four years before their tread wears out. Many end up burned or in landfills, releasing toxic chemicals into the air or leaching them into the ground.
Tire recycling is the most practical and environment-friendly way of disposing of old and worn-out tires. Due to their inherent durability, large volume and environment and health risks, tires are one of the most problematic sources of solid wastes. Benefits of tire recycling Tire recycling can have numerous benefits not only for vehicle owners like you but also for the communities. For one, it can conserve landfill space. Because of their round and hollow shape, tires can take up significant space in landfills. Eliminating bulky items like tires can leave space in landfills for other things that cannot be easily recycled.
How to recycle tires If you bring your used tires to a waste recycling center like Trinity, your tires will then be cut into smaller pieces by cut shredders. This is aimed at reducing the tire volume and creating a material that can be easily handled. The end-product is a raw material that can be utilized for TDF, the most developed market for old tires in the United States. It is widely used in the country as a supplemental fuel by industries cement kilns, paper mills, and electric utilities, among others.
Tire shreds are then processed to remove the tire wire, which adds to the resilience, versatility, and strength of the tire. The wire is removed and recycled; as these can be used in manufacturing new steel. The remaining rubber is then screened to ensure that it is free from wires and other contamination. Afterward, the rubber is cleaned using water and other cleaning agents. Clean rubber is then packed as raw material such as rubber shoe manufacturers.
Recycled rubber is also used in other ways such as ground rubber applications such as asphalt rubber animal bedding synthetic sports field underlays.
Adding ground tire rubber to asphalt can contribute to improved rutting resistance, skid resistance, ride quality, pavement life and reduced pavement noise levels. Adding rubber to the asphalt liquid retards aging and oxidation of the resulting binder, which increases pavement life by lessening brittleness and cracking.
Asphalt rubber is widely used in Arizona, California, and Florida, for instance.
Other rubber by-products can be reused in various shapes and forms. For example, fiber and nylon make up nearly 15% of a tire. When extracted from old tires, these materials can be used in the manufacture of concrete, fiberglass, stucco, caret, and cleanup materials. Rubber powder can also be derived from recycled tires. This high-performance but affordable material is used in creating sealing products, plastic, and of course, rubber.