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What Is Made From Tire Recycling?
from: EnvironmentSense.comA few hundred years ago humans were limited by the horse and buggy, and spending a large amount of time trying to cover short distances when they wanted to move or travel. Since the invention of the automobile however, the world has become a whole lot smaller! Suddenly people can easily travel from point A to point B with ease. Automobiles however cannot run without tires, and tires should not be used without plans for tire recycling!
Due to the shape of tires they are largely unwelcome in landfills. The hole in the center of the tire and it's hollow nature cause it to take up more space than it can effectively use - in fact the tire itself only occupies about a quarter of the space it takes up. The hollow portions of tires can also double as a place for methane gas to be collected and cause the tires to bubble to the top of landfills. This can be dangerous, because this process can damage the liners that are designed to keep landfill contents from polluting water and land. So if tires are welcome in landfills, what can be done with them? Luckily, there are many positive uses for tires created from tire recycling.
Old collected tires have many uses. Some big steel companies will burn old tires to be use the carbon created in the steel manufacturing process. Some other companies will bind tires together to create boundaries, especially in go-cart and other style racing tracks. Though currently under some controversy, tire recycling is also being used to help save the ocean. The tires are used to help create an artificial reef system in areas where the reef has been whipped out due to pollution and other factors.
While it is possible for recycled tires to make their way back into new tires, it is relatively uncommon. Tires are often ground up into very small parts and actually function as parts of concrete and cement. These small pieces of tire are blended into carpet padding, flooring, patio decks, floor and livestock mats, and other such things. The pieces are even used in sports fields, where the small pieces of rubber make great padding on football fields and other places where running and other high impact sports use the rubber to decrease the pressure put on the body.
When one thinks about the amount of vehicles on the road and how many tires each vehicle goes through during its lifespan, it's easy to understand why tire recycling is so important. When tires are disposed of properly they can not only help the earth by not becoming another pollutant, but also by being used in other items. Tire recycling is a great way to do one's part in helping the environment.
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