Tyres, designed for a rugged life of use under a car, are made of vulcanized rubber. That means that rubber tyres can sit around for literally thousands of years, and never decompose.
There are other problems with leaving rubber tyres to sit in landfills ad infinitum. Discarded tyres retain water, serving as a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests. The steel liners in the tyres are prime culprits for tearing the protective lining at the bottom of a landfill, giving harmful substances the opportunity to leach into the soil. The oily residue left on the tyres enters the ground as well, and runs off into our water supplies.
Happily, the solution for old, discarded tyres is a simple one, great for users and great for the environment. Tyre recycling has gained enormous popularity in every developed country around the globe. Even tyres that can no longer be used for cars are tremendously useful items, once you put your mind to the problem. Currently, recycled tyres are routinely used in countless valuable ways.
Recovered rubber can cost half the price of natural or synthetic rubber, and possesses certain properties that supersede those of virgin rubber. The production of rubber through the recycling process uses less energy than the production of a new rubber product. And of course, recycling rubber tyres keeps them out of landfills, which allows the environment to breathe a sigh of relief!
Recycled tyres can be turned into a multitude of useful products. The scope of recycling methods is mind-boggling. A partial listing of products made from recycled tyres includes shoes, sandals, buckets, motor vehicle parts, doormats, water containers, pots, dustbins, bicycle pedals, and crash barriers.
One of the most popular ways of recycling used tyres is by removing the steel banding, and shredding the rubber into granules then used for all sorts of applications.
The tyre recycling solution is a real win-win proposition for everybody! Tyre users have a safe, legal way to discard their used tyres, rather than leaving them around to serve as an eyesore and a potential environmental danger. Recycled rubber manufacturers have discovered an entirely new niche in the economical realm, using cheap and plentiful raw material. Consumers may now avail themselves of a complete new line of recycled rubber products, which are versatile, durable, and eminently useful.