Are you tired of using flimsy plastic chairs on your outdoor deck? Well, I have got a solution for you. Start a business that makes innovative, sustainable outdoor furniture. For example, storm-proof bean bags stuffed entirely out of recycled tire rubber. That sounds like a Shark Tank winner to me.
Even if storm-proof beanbags aren’t your dream, tire recycling is a great idea for a start-up business venture. Before you start stockpiling tires for bean bag production or whatever schemes and dreams you have, you’ll need somewhere to build a recycling line and store your tires. Here are critical considerations for choosing the perfect location for your tire recycling business.
1. Proximity to Tire Suppliers:
You’ll need a steady supply of tires to recycle, so make sure your location is close to suppliers such as tire dealerships, auto repair shops, and scrap yards. Since tires are heavy and hard to transport, convenience is king when it comes to receiving scrap tires from these supplying industries.
2. A Demand for Tire-derived Products:
Research the local market demand for recycled tires to ensure that there is a market for your products. Popular options include tire-derived fuel, rubber mulch, playground surfaces, and rubberized asphalt. The best way to do this is to talk directly to the companies and consumers who you would hope to buy your products.
3. Space:
Make sure your location has enough space to accommodate your business operations. Break the business into three components, storage, processing, and shipping. Each of these requires a significant amount of room. Often industrial areas or the outskirts of a town are great places to acquire more space for less money.
4. Future Growth:
Consider the potential for future development of your business in your chosen location. People often set low expectations for their start-ups. Scared of failing to meet expectations, they assume modest goals. Don’t fall to this level. Imagine how many tires you could process daily if you made it big. While you don’t need to start with such a large site, keeping expansion in mind allows you to make critical leaps in the future.
5. Visibility:
You want your business to be visible, especially to suppliers. Choose a location that is easily accessible for large tire-carrying trailers and trucks. Put signs on street corners and at the entrances. While many industrial warehouses hide from view, tire recycling is good for the environment and there’s no reason not to pick a location that gets your name out there.
6. Laws and Regulations:
After narrowing down your options, research local regulations to ensure that your business is compliant with all relevant laws and regulations for the chosen site. Tire piles can be dangerous and tire fires challenging to extinguish. Most states have specific rules about where they can be made and how big they can be.
7. Noise and Air Pollution:
Tire recycling is great for the environment, but without careful consideration, it can also cause adverse environmental effects on the local community. Ensure your location is suitable for your operations and that you aren’t negatively contributing to noise and air pollution.
It can be difficult to find a location for your tire recycling business that checks all of the boxes. Remember that you don’t need to have everything perfect to be successful. You may have to make some compromises and accept that some things might not line up just as you would like.
In the end, finding the ideal location is less important than making a start. You might not find a place near a tire supplier, and the laws and regulations might not be super lenient, but that doesn’t mean you should give up entirely.
In 2018, the European Tire and Rubber Manufacturer Association found that “material recycling, mainly grinding/shredding of waste tires, was the most popular solution among various recycling methods of end-of-life tires. This shows that, even with understandable difficulties, tire shredding is the best way to reduce tire pollution. These considerations will help you find a suitable location to hit the ground running.
What next?
After investing in a location, it’s time to invest in tire recycling equipment. ECO Green, is a leader in tire shredders as well as other machines specialized to reduce rubber shreds fully. While it’s possible to make up for an average location with a good business plan, it’s much harder to make a profit in tire recycling if your plant lacks quality equipment.
Whatever tire recycling dreams you have, from bean bags to bouncy asphalt, don’t keep them all to yourself. The whole world could use a more circular economy, and a lot of us could also use sustainable deck furniture.
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Infographic
Location is everything when starting a tire recycling business. This infographic provides key factors to consider when choosing the ideal site, from proximity to suppliers and space requirements to future growth and environmental impacts. It offers essential tips for locating your business to ensure profitability and join the global sustainability movement.
