Tire Manufacturing Innovation
The car and travel industries generate much of the waste tires in the world. To minimize [waste] tire output, tire companies should create tires with higher quality. They should also create tires that can be used for different seasons but are not very expensive, so customers don’t have to buy and change them every season. There is really not much that can be done by the customers and the car and travel industries unless the tire companies do something about this [issue].
Recycling in the Transportation Industry
Industries that are generating waste tires would mainly be automobile companies and the transportation industry (e.g., used motor vehicles, cars, taxis, etc.).
Automobile companies and members of the transportation industry can minimize the number of waste tires that they are generating by recycling them. At this point, there are no alternatives to rubber tires. We cannot drastically reduce the demand for them, and so, the best way to go about the waste tire problem would be to encourage companies to reclaim and recycle their waste tires. The waste tires could be recycled into a tire-derived aggregate (TDA), tire-derived fuel (TDF), rubber powder, and even rubber material for footwear.
May Flanagan
Adam Atkins
Extending the Useable Life of Every Tire
The retail automotive, construction, and aviation industries can be considered some of the industries generating the most tires as waste products.
Regular tire maintenance (checking pressure and wheel alignment) can help extend the life of tires, which may help reduce the number of tires being sent to landfills. Additionally, second-hand automobile tires may be sold in automotive retail outlets, which will reduce waste.
Finally, modern recycling techniques can help reduce waste output.
Changing How We Deal with Spent Tires
The racing industry generates waste tires. During some races, the tires are changed every 100 miles even if the type of racing doesn’t require frequent changes.
At high speeds, it’s especially critical that tires be in optimal condition, and any attempt to push the limits could result in death or serious injury. The racing industry would do well to commit resources to better and more efficient tire recycling programs.
Another industry that produces a lot of waste tires is the trucking industry. Trucks go through a high volume of tires because, first of all, they use 18 of them, and second, they put on a high number of miles.
Retreading tires for truck use are one way to drastically reduce the amount of rubber that is wasted. At a minimum, a tire should be able to be retreaded safely three times. Retreading is more cost-effective than purchasing low-grade tier four tires produced in countries without safety oversight.
Melanie Musson
Melanie Musson is an automotive expert with CarInsuranceComparison.com.
This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors are not necessarily affiliated with this website and their statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.