Posts Tagged ‘Recycle Tires’
Recycle Tires
When it comes to tires, there really is a “closed loop”-recycling recycling program. This means that 100% of an old tire is dealt with and not land filled. In 2007, the new Tire Stewardship program in BC recorded 80% of all tires collected where turned into crumb rubber. The remainder was used as a fuel source in the new generation waste-to-energy plants.
To put this into perspectives that we can appreciate, approximately 40,000 metric tonnes of tires where recycled in 2007, that is about one tire per person in BC.
How the stewardship program works is like this; we buy a tire, and the retailer collects an Advanced Disposal Fee or Eco-Fee. This money goes to the not-for-profit Tire Stewardship BC Association. The moneys are then dispersed among collectors, haulers and processors that work in synergy to recycle that old tire into a new reusable product.
Last year, 3,100,000 passenger and light truck tires where purchased in BC. Of that, 2,600,000 entered the program and became crumb rubber. The remaining 500,000 tires usually end up going home with the consumer to be used at some later date.
If you are purchasing new tires, ask the retailer about taking the old ones for you. If you have some old tires at your home, take them to a depot or a retailer that will accept the tires. Make sure you call in advance to ensure that the used tires are accepted even though you are not buying a new set. The Nanaimo Recycling Exchange (NRE) located on Kenworth Road will take tires, with or without a rim. Staff will ask for a $1 donation per tire if the tire has a rim attached still.
Crumb rubber? It’s cool product that is becoming increasingly popular in its applications. Running tracks, new paver bricks, playgrounds and even the new Nanaimo artificial turf uses crumb rubber as its lubricant (so you don’t get a rug burn). To promote tire recycling advancements, extra monies collected by the Stewardship Program go towards the development of new technologies for reusing old tires. So keep your eyes open to new products that come from that old tire.