The Hidden Environmental Hero: Exploring the Benefits of Tire Recycling

Updated on: 14th February 2024 By:     Kieran Donnelly

Tyre recycling is an important part of working towards environmental sustainability. As we address growing waste management issues and the critical need to conserve resources, tyre recycling provides an innovative and sustainable solution.

This blog post looks at tyre recycling, explaining how this process not only prevents environmental damage but also meaningfully contributes to a greener, more sustainable future. We’ll particularly describe how our advanced tyre recycling units at Gradeall play a key role in improving the tyre recycling process.

By efficiently compacting tyres, our machines lower transportation costs and volumes, increase output for recycling equipment like pyrolysis and crumbing machines, and maximise the sustainability benefits of tyre recycling.

The Environmental Impact of End-of-Life Tyres

Every year, millions of tyres reach the end of their life cycle. Traditionally, these tyres have ended up in landfills, contributing to environmental hazards and the wastage of valuable materials. The resilience and non-biodegradability of tyres pose significant environmental risks, including soil and water pollution and potential fire hazards.

Tyre recycling repurposes end-of-life tyres into useful products. First, waste management groups collect and transport used tyres to recycling plants. Here, advanced tyre recycling units like Gradeall’s MKII Baler, MK3 Baler, Truck Tyre Baler, Agricultural Tyre Shear, Portable Tyre Bailing System, Car Sidewall Cutter, Tyre Baler Conveyor, Tyre Rim Seperator and lastly the Truck Tyre Rim Seperator, all play a crucial role in tyre recycling. By efficiently compacting tyre volumes, these machines enable more sustainable transportation and material recovery processing at lower costs.

Tackling the Transportation Challenge in Tyre Recycling

One of the primary challenges in tyre recycling has been the transportation of end-of-life tyres (ELTs). Due to their bulky nature, fitting a substantial number of tyres into a confined space is difficult, making loose transport prohibitively expensive, especially concerning fuel costs. Historically, this logistical hurdle made waste tyre management a daunting task, with few viable solutions available.

Recognising this significant environmental and logistical challenge, Gradeall has been at the forefront of addressing it. From car and lorry tyres to agricultural tractor tyres and even massive off-the-road (OTR) tyres, Gradeall has developed a comprehensive range of tyre recycling products.

Our goal has been to create solutions that cater to as many tyre types as possible, making tyre recycling more accessible and efficient worldwide. Today, we proudly offer a diverse array of tyre recycling equipment, each designed to ease the burden of tyre recycling and make the process more environmentally sustainable.

Here are some of products that we use for Tyre Recycling:

MK2 Tyre Baler

1. High Force Power for Efficient Compaction: The MK2 Tyre Baler is equipped with a force power of 45 tonnes, providing significant compression to reduce tyre volume. This high force ensures efficient compaction, making it ideal for handling large quantities of tyres.
2. High Productivity with PAS108 Bales: Capable of creating up to six PAS108 standard bales per hour, the MK2 Tyre Baler is highly productive. This standard ensures that each bale is of consistent size and quality, facilitating easy handling and transportation.
3. Substantial Reduction in Tyre Size: The powerful hydraulic system of the MK2 Tyre Baler allows for an 80% reduction in tyre size. This feature is crucial for minimising storage and transportation costs, as well as for improving the overall efficiency of the recycling process.
4. Large Capacity per Bale: Each bale produced by the MK2 Tyre Baler can contain up to 110 tyres. This large capacity per bale demonstrates the machine’s effectiveness in compacting and managing large volumes of tyres.
5. Versatility in Handling Different Tyre Types: While the MK2 Tyre Baler is primarily designed for car tyres, it also has the capability to compact truck tyres if they are pre-treated with a sidewall cutter. This versatility makes it suitable for various recycling needs and types of tyre waste.
6. Ideal for Diverse Recycling Operations: The MK2 Tyre Baler is perfect for businesses involved in tyre recycling, from small-scale operations to larger waste management facilities. Its efficiency and capacity make it a valuable tool in managing and recycling tyre waste effectively.

The Gradeall MK2 Tyre Baler is a highly efficient and versatile machine, designed to meet the diverse needs of tyre recycling operations. Its ability to compact large volumes of tyres into manageable bales, combined with its high force power and productivity, makes it an essential tool for efficient and sustainable tyre waste management.

MK3 Tyre Baler

The Gradeall MK3 Tyre Baler stands as a robust and efficient machine, specifically designed to tackle the challenges of recycling extremely high volumes of waste tyres.

1. Exceptional Capacity for Large-Scale Recycling: The MK3 is tailored for environments with substantial tyre waste, efficiently managing and compacting large numbers of tyres.
2. Impressive Pressing Power: Boasting a pressing force of 75 tonnes, the MK3 is capable of creating dense bales containing up to 140 tyres, depending on their size. This high compaction rate is key in maximising space and reducing transportation costs.
3. Enhanced Productivity: The MK3 Tyre Baler can produce three sizeable tyre bales per hour, with each bale taking approximately 20 minutes to form. This rate of productivity is particularly advantageous in high-demand recycling operations.
4. Compatibility with Conveyor Systems: Designed to work seamlessly with conveyor systems, the MK3 reduces the time and physical effort required by operators to load the machine, streamlining the recycling process.
5. Innovative Design for Wider Bales: The larger loading chamber of the MK3 allows for the creation of much wider bales than the standard PAS108 bale. These bales are specifically shaped to fit directly into conventional shipping containers, greatly enhancing the efficiency of loading and unloading bales for transport.

The Gradeall MK3 Tyre Baler is a state-of-the-art solution for high-volume tyre recycling, offering powerful compaction, enhanced productivity, and innovative design features that streamline the recycling process and transportation of tyre waste.

Truck Tyre Baler

The Gradeall Truck Tyre Baler is a purpose-built machine, expertly crafted to meet the unique demands of recycling tyres from large commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, and other heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

1. Tailored for Truck Tyres: This baler is specifically engineered to handle the larger size and tougher build of truck tyres, efficiently creating compact bales.
2. High-Capacity Baling: Capable of producing bales containing up to 12 truck tyres, this machine is ideal for operations focused on dealing with heavy-duty tyre waste.
3. Dense and Solid Bales: The bales produced weigh between 600-700 kg, depending on the tyre size and composition. This density ensures a stable and manageable form for transportation and storage.
4. Optimised for Shipping and Transport: Up to 44 truck tyre bales can fit into a 40-foot container or trailer, totalling around 23 to 24 tonnes of tyres. This feature is crucial for efficient logistics and reducing transportation costs.
5. Commitment to Quality and Versatility: At Gradeall, our focus is on providing the highest quality in tyre processing machinery. The Truck Tyre Baler, alongside our versatile MK2 and MK3 tyre balers, reflects our commitment to offering solutions tailored to different operational needs. While the Truck Tyre Baler is specialised for truck tyres, our MK2 and MK3 models, used in conjunction with a sidewall cutter, can handle a range of tyre types, providing flexibility for various recycling processes.

The Gradeall Truck Tyre Baler is a specialised, efficient solution for recycling truck and heavy-duty vehicle tyres. Its design ensures maximum compaction and ease of transportation, making it a valuable asset for operations focused on managing large, heavy tyres. Along with our range of versatile tyre balers, Gradeall stands as a leader in providing top-tier tyre recycling machinery.

Agricultural Tyre Shear

1. Specialised for Large Tyres: This equipment is tailored to manage the sheer size and weight of agricultural tyres, which are notably more cumbersome than standard passenger car tyres.
2. Tackling Size and Bulkiness: Agricultural tyres present a significant recycling challenge due to their bulkiness. The Tyre Shear directly addresses this by efficiently cutting down these large tyres into manageable pieces.
3. High Volume Reduction: Despite their size, agricultural tyres, like passenger car tyres, consist mostly of air – up to 90% of their volume. The Tyre Shear effectively reduces this volume, making the tyres easier to handle and process.
4. Enhancing Recycling Efficiency: By breaking down these large tyres, the Agricultural Tyre Shear plays a crucial role in streamlining the recycling process. This not only aids in managing these bulky tyres but also contributes to more efficient recycling operations.

The Gradeall Agricultural Tyre Shear is an essential tool for tackling the specific challenges associated with recycling large agricultural tyres. Its ability to efficiently cut and reduce the size of these bulky tyres makes it a key component in any agricultural tyre recycling operation, ensuring that these challenging items are processed effectively and sustainably.

Portable Tyre Bailing System

The Gradeall Portable Tyre Baling System represents a significant advancement in addressing the issue of tyre waste in remote areas.

• Designed for Remote Locations: Understanding the challenges of tyre waste management in isolated areas, this system is specifically developed to bring the solution to the problem.
• Transportation Cost Efficiency: One of the primary advantages of the portable system is its ability to mitigate the traditionally high costs associated with transporting tyres to distant recycling facilities. By enabling on-site tyre baling, it significantly reduces logistical expenses.
• On-Site Tyre Processing: The portable nature of the system allows it to be easily transported to various sites where tyre waste is accumulated. This on-site processing capability is crucial for efficient waste management in remote or inaccessible areas.
• Flexibility and Accessibility: The system’s design prioritises ease of transportation and setup, making it an ideal solution for locations that are otherwise hard to reach or lack the infrastructure for traditional tyre recycling processes.

The Gradeall Portable Tyre Baling System is an innovative response to the challenges of tyre waste management in remote and isolated locations. By offering a practical and cost-effective solution that can be deployed directly to the site of tyre accumulation, it greatly enhances the efficiency and feasibility of tyre recycling operations in areas where such services were previously limited or non-existent.

Tyre Processing Machinery

Gradeall offers a diverse range of tyre processing machinery, each tailored to address specific aspects of tyre recycling for different tyre types. This suite of equipment enhances efficiency, safety, and productivity in tyre recycling operations.

• Car Tyre Sidewall Cutter

• Purpose: Specifically built to cut the sidewalls of car tyres, this cutter is a crucial first step in tyre recycling.
  • Function: By removing the sidewalls, it facilitates the extraction of the wire bead, making the subsequent compaction and shredding processes more efficient.
  • Safety Design: The cutter board is positioned away from the operator, ensuring maximum safety during operation.

• Gradeall Sidewall Cutter for Various Tyres

• Versatility: Designed to handle different tyre sizes, from truck to large agricultural tyres, including tractor tyres.
  • Operation: Automates the process of picking up tyres, cutting the sidewalls, and placing them back on the ground.
  • Safety Features: Requires two-hand operation for enhanced safety, with three emergency stop buttons integrated.
  • Types Available:

• Car Tyre Sidewall Cutter
  • Truck & Agricultural Sidewall Cutter
  • OTR Sidewall Cutter

• Tyre Baler Conveyor

• Compatibility: An excellent add-on for the MK2 and MK3 Tyre Balers.
  • Efficiency: Reduces loading time and physical strain on operators, improving the overall workflow.
  • Design: Available in various profiles, including an inclined design for easy ground-level tyre loading.

• Tyre Rim Separator

• Application: Ideal for car depollution and dismantling operations.
  • Function: Separates the rims from rubber tyres, retrieving valuable materials like steel or alloy rims and rubber.
  • Safety: Features an automatic safety guard and two-hand operation, ensuring operator safety.

• Truck Tyre Rim Separator

• Development: Building on the success of the Tyre Rim Separator, tailored for larger truck tyres.
  • Safety and Efficiency: Encompasses guards for operator safety and efficient separation of steel rims from rubber tyres.

Each piece of equipment in Gradeall’s tyre processing machinery line-up is designed with efficiency, versatility, and safety in mind. From the initial stages of sidewall cutting to the final separation of rims, these machines provide comprehensive solutions for various types of tyre recycling needs. This range demonstrates Gradeall’s commitment to delivering top-tier, effective recycling machinery, catering to a wide array of tyre types and recycling processes.

Creating New Products from Recycled Tyre Materials

The power of tyre recycling lies in transforming waste into valuable commodities. Recycled tyre rubber is utilised in products like landscaping mulch, playground surfaces, and as components in the manufacture of new tyres. Moreover, reclaimed rubber from tyres can facilitate sturdier, more eco-friendly infrastructure through civil engineering applications.

The Environmental Wins of Tyre Recycling

Tyre recycling delivers various ecological benefits. It alleviates the burden on landfills, minimises pollution risks, and conserves virgin natural resources by substituting recycled materials for newly manufactured ones. Additionally, this practice reduces the carbon impact associated with tyre production and waste trajectories.

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