Vehicle repair operations generally generate light vehicle tires and,
on occasion, large tires from heavy equipment and trucks.
Disposing of tires is becoming increasingly difficult as some states
enact bans on landfilling tires. Landfilled tires are also possible health
hazards as they are breeding grounds for mosquitos, which may carry diseases.
If tires are stacked in "tire farms", a fire can burn for weeks and create
air pollution (smoke) that can be seen and smelled for miles.
Most of the light vehicle tires are taken back by vendors for retreading
although in some cases they are landfilled off-site. Smaller tires can
also be used for "cable trees" and aerial survey markers.
Several new uses for old tires are currently being evaluated. Shredded
tires are being used in construction projects to replace conventional fill
materials in some instances. Examples include, road bed construction, building
constructions, and landscaping. Shredded tires have also been incorporated
into asphalt, almost doubling the durability and lifetime of the road surface.
However, the cost of this process is about twice as high as ordinary asphalt.
Shredded tires are also being used as a fuel for power plants and cement
kilns. Studies by several power plants have shown that using shredded tires
mixed with coal has actually decreased air emissions for lead, particulates,
and nitrogen oxides. The biggest drawback to this technology is that the
cost of a machine to shred the tires to a 1" X 1" size is approximately
$50,000, making these options costly for a company simply looking to dispose
of their old tires. A company whose business is shredding tires must have
not only a ready supply of used tires, but also a ready customers for his
product. Some states are finding that it is more cost effective for them
to buy their own shredding machines than it is to buy the product from
an independent company.
Using tires with extended mileage warranties is another means of reducing
waste through using fewer tires. One study of county maintenance facilities
showed that the down time and costs necessary to change tires more than
offset the cost of the increased mileage tires. On the economic downside,
businesses that sell tires or make tires have an economic stake in selling
more tires. They must weigh the economic versus pollution prevention alternatives.
Source: US EPA, Region 8