Products Made From Recycled Tires
About 290 million tires are thrown away in the United States each year, and about 27 million of those go into landfills. Around 75 percent of tires are recycled or reused. Many companies are using recycled tires as material for their products. Recycled rubber costs half the money to produce as virgin rubber and is not a drain on natural resources. It is not suited for all purposes, but is suited for a wide range of functions. There is a wide variety of products made from recycled tires.
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History
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In the 1980s and 1990s, recycled tire products were oddities. Handbags, sandals, art pieces and sculptures could be found in trendy boutiques and eco-friendly vendors. While there are still many eclectic and artistic uses for recycled tires, a good number of uses for recycled tires are part of the infrastructure of our daily lives.
Civic Projects
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One of the largest uses of recycled tires is in civic projects. States such as California and Arizona use material mixed with recycled tires to pave roads. Rubber is very durable and can be heated and used to bind with other materials, like gravel, to make rubberized asphalt. Recycled tire rubber also is used as a soil stabilizer in embankments and as a fill enhancer under buildings, since it is strong, doesn't degrade and resists compaction.
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Outdoor Products
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Shredded tires and reprocessed tires are useful in recreation and sports projects. Recycled rubber mats and shredded tires help provide cushioning under playgrounds and arena surfaces. Crumb rubber is added to soil under playing fields to keep the fields drier.
Everyday Products
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Recycled tires are finding their way into new products that you use every day. Dixon Ticonderoga is producing a pencil made from recycled tires. Timberland is incorporating recycled tire rubber into a line of shoes that will produce about 200,000 pairs a year. You can find trashcans, lawn chairs and tables, swings, doormats and rubber mulch for your yard, and more products are being added.
Homemade Products
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Whole tires have some creative uses around the home and business. They can be cut and placed around trees or poles as guards. They can be buried and used as reinforced walls for ponds or sandboxes. Some people use tires for planters or erosion control. Of course, there is always the classic tire swing.
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References
- Recycle: Products Made From Recycled Rubber Category
- RubberMulch: Tire Recycling - A Growing Concern for the Environmentally Aware
- New York Times: Timberland's New Footprint: Recycled Tires; Kate Galbraith, April 3, 2009
- Staples: Dixon Ticonderoga RENEW Recycled Tire Pencil, #2, 10/Pack
- Earth911: Facts About Tires
Resources
- Photo Credit old tires in a pile of garbage image by Alex Motrenko from Fotolia.com
