Did you know that the world produces around 1.5 billion waste tires per year? That’s a lot of waste and much of it ends up in landfill sites where they can leach toxic chemicals and methane gases.
Luckily, the tire recycling industry has boomed in recent years, due to the expansion of innovative and creative methods for handling waste tires. In this article, we’ll explore some recycled tire uses and the different types of products and materials that they can be transformed into.
Gradeall is a leading innovator of tire recycling machinery. We manufacture high-performing machinery that helps streamline the tire recycling process. Get in contact with a member of our team if you’re interested in enhancing your tire recycling operation.
Waste tires still contain valuable materials and with innovative recycling methods, these materials can be extracted and put to better use. Check out some of the things that waste tires can be turned into below.
One of the recycled tire uses is in civil engineering projects. This can be for retaining walls, slope stabilisation or in embankments. Due to the longevity and shock absorbent properties of the waste tire material, it is perfect for this type of application.
Rubber mulch is a popular product made from recycled tires. It’s durable, retains moisture and is good for drainage, making it an ideal material to use in landscaping and gardening projects.
Due to its lack of soil nutrients, rubber mulch can also act as a barrier between soil and sunlight, meaning that deters weeds and insects. It is also a much more durable option than using wood chippings.
Crumb rubber is another material that is derived from waste tires, it is similar to rubber mulch but this material is a lot more finer and granulated. Crumb rubber is often used in manufacturing and construction processes.
Due to its durable nature and shock-absorbent properties, crumb rubber is typically used
to create synthetic turf for athletic fields or playgrounds and as infill material for artificial grass fields.
Crumb rubber made from used tires can also be used in road construction, where it is mixed with asphalt to create a more resilient road surface. This has several benefits in that it reduces noise pollution, improves skid resistance and is more durable compared to other asphalt materials.
Crumb rubber can also be used in the production of concrete, this is referred to as “Rubberized Concrete” or “Crumb Rubber Concrete.” It replaces some of the traditional aggregates used in the concrete mix, such as sand or gravel.
This type of concrete creates a material that is much more resistant to cracking and wear and tear. It is also lightweight, which is a great option for weight-sensitive applications. Crumb Rubber Concrete may be initially more expensive, but due to its durable nature, it is more cost-effective in the long run than concrete aggregate alternatives.
Rubberized bricks can also be produced with crumb rubber when it is mixed with other materials like cement, sand, or clay. This construction material is beneficial as it has improved insulation compared to traditional bricks and is more lightweight and sound-absorbent.
Crumb rubber can also be used in the production of rubber mats. This creates several advantages including:
Durability: Rubber mats are resistant to wear and tear and can handle high-traffic areas.
Cushioning: Rubber mats provide excellent cushioning, making them a good choice for gym floors or other areas where falls might occur.
Slip Resistance: Rubber mats have a good grip and are slip-resistant, enhancing safety in wet or slippery conditions.
Noise Reduction: Rubber mats can help to reduce noise, particularly in gym settings where heavy weights may be dropped.
Easy to Maintain: Rubber mats are typically easy to clean and maintain.
Tires can be processed into a fuel known as tire-derived fuel (TDF), which can then be used in industrial boilers, kilns, or power plants. This reduces the need for using fossil fuels and it reduces the amount of tires that are sent to landfill sites.
The only disadvantage of this recycled tire use, however, is that it releases toxic chemicals and pollutants when burned, meaning that it’s not the most environmentally friendly fuel source, but still better than dumping waste tires in landfills.
There is also a growing trend to recycle tires into art projects and some of the results are particularly impressive. This process involves shredding the tires into more manageable pieces and moulding them into art installations.
Primary recycling, also known as closed-loop recycling, is a process where waste is recycled into products of the same type. An example of this would be recycling glass bottles into new glass bottles, or aluminium cans into new aluminium cans.
In the case of tires, primary recycling isn’t typically feasible due to the way tires are manufactured. Secondary recycling is a much better option for extracting waste materials and transforming them into new products and materials.
The recycled tire uses that are listed above are current examples of how waste tires can be transformed into new products and materials. However, as technology evolves we can expect to see more innovative applications for recycling waste tires. The future looks promising especially in light of changing attitudes that value sustainable practices.
At Gradeall, we are committed to supporting the tire recycling industry, but we also recognise that this usually comes at a cost to businesses and operations that need to transport them to recycling facilities.
That’s why we have developed innovative tire recycling machinery that makes this process much more efficient. Our MK2 tire baler for example condenses tire size by up to 80% and
the tire sidewall cutter machine removes the strong wire beading before being shredded into smaller parts.
Check out our video below that showcases how Gradeall machinery can condense even the biggest of tires into smaller and more manageable parts.
Contact Gradeall to speak to someone about your tire recycling initiatives. We take into account your operational requirements and suggest recycling machinery that would be most beneficial to you.
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