Uses for Shredded Tires
Shredded tires can create serious environmental hazards, but they also can be incredibly useful in a variety of situations. In fact, recycling used tires is an excellent way to protect the environment while saving time and money on regular, everyday tasks.
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Environmental Impact
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Used tires pose a threat to the environment if not disposed of properly. There is an obvious aesthetic disadvantage to piles of ugly tires on the landscape, but there are other dangers, too. Tires are a potential fire hazard, and the smoke form burning tires may be toxic. In addition, piles of used tires can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. No matter what you use recycled tires for, you are helping the environment by eliminating the hazardous waste of used tires, keeping them from polluting the environment.
Playgrounds
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Shredded tires can be recycled into playground rubber mulch. This mulch is designed for safety and provides a padded surface for children to land on when they fall. Playground mulch made from vulcanized rubber tires also is considered indestructible, so it is a great long-term solution for playground surfaces. Other advantages include that it is not slippery, it is too heavy to blow away and it requires only occasional raking as maintenance.
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Landscaping Mulch
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Landscaping mulch created from shredded tires is an easy way to mulch around your shrubs and trees without getting your hands too dirty. The product protects soil from the hot rays of the sun and the frosts in winter. In addition, it does not decompose or lose its color. This non-toxic mulch lasts longer and requires less maintenance than traditional mulches.
Drainage Material
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According to a study by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, shredded tires have proven to be excellent drainage material for waste-contaminant systems such as landfills. Adding tires that have been shredded into 4- to 6-inch pieces to landfills allows water to flow in a predetermined direction while keeping the trash in the landfill from polluting ground water. Also, using the shredded tires as landfill drainage saves the money a landfill normally would spend on sand or gravel to create drainage.
Replacing Gravel
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Because tires must be shredded before they can be disposed of, it's usually cheaper to purchase shredded tires than gravel. Any place that gravel is normally used, shredded tires often will work because they are heavy like gravel and allow water to flow through easily. For example, shredded tires are a great replacement for gravel that keeps a retaining wall intact.
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