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Currently, about 70 percent of U.S. auto tires are recycled. Unfortunately, the most popular use for these tires is as fuel in coal- and wood-burning plants such as cement kilns -- which further contributes to air pollution. If you don't want your tires to harm the environment, here are some steps you can take: 1. First and foremost: buy long-lasting tires and maintain them. The Rubber Manufacturers Association recommends that you buy tires that have a longer tread life; rotatie them every 4,000 miles, make sure to balance them at the same time; and check pressure levels twice a month. 2. When a tire is worn out, make sure that it doesn't end up in a tire heap. Find out whether your local service station sends tires to reprocessing companies. If it does, your old tires may be put to new uses. Tires can be cut up and used for floor mats, adhesives, gaskets, shoe soles, and electrical insulators, or blended into asphalt . Every year, about 3 million used tires are used in asphalt in Florida alone, according to the Rubber Pavements Association. If you have trouble finding a service station that sends tires to reprocessing companies, check with your local solid-waste-management department. To find the solid-waste-management department nearest you, go to the Environmental Protection Agency's Agencies and Contacts by State page. This database contains every solid-waste-management department in the country. Some locations have days on which you can drop off tires for free. Buy products made from recycled tires. Recycled tire rubber can be found in items such as doormats, garden hoses, and compost bins. The Rubber Manufacturers Association lists companies (and their contact information) that use recycled tires in their products. Photo courtesy www.freeimages.co.uk/ Up to Top |
Few sights are more discouraging than a mountain of burning tires. Estimates of the number of "scrap" tires stockpiled around the United States range from 500 million to 3 billion. An additional 270 million tires are scrapped every year. Illegal and improper dumping and stockpiling of tires pose serious health and environmental risks. Tire piles provide a breeding ground for rodents and mosquitoes, and are susceptible to fire from arson, lightning, and even spontaneous combustion. Tire pile fires are both extremely polluting and notoriously difficult to extinguish.