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Reuse and material recycling are part of the main solutions to achieve that no tyre will be disposed in landfill.

Many used tyres are transported all over the world and can be reused as second-hand tyres for their originally intended purpose. Currently more than 9 % of used tyres are reused locally or exported.

The particular qualities of flexibility, strength and combustibility that characterise end of life tyres have significantly contributed to the development of a wide range of new products for various industrial and consumer applications. They represented in 2007 38.7 % of recycling activity, compared with 4 % in 1992.

End of life tyres can be used whole, shredded or in powdered rubber.

• Civil engineering applications
    The use of whole or shredded tyres in civil engineering projects has expanded over
    the last 10 years and to day represents the main recovery route.
    Examples of applications are:
  • Coastal protection projects – erosion barriers, artificial reefs and off-coast breakwaters
  • Reinforcing embankments alongside roads
    This market has good potential for development but this depends largely on the ability of
     the industrial players involved to convince the authorities and the road constructors of
     the advantages of the application.
   
• Miscellaneous uses
  The tread can be used on rail and tram tracks to reduce both noise and vibrations but also in shoe soles, shock absorbers or shock absorbing mats.
  Whole tyres are traditionally used on farms as silage clamps.
   

Two methods of size reduction are mechanical shredding and grinding at ambient temperature or grinding at very low temperatures (the cryogenic method). According to the size of the crumb rubber, it is usual to speak of shreds, chips, granulate and powders.

The real challenge for recycled powdered rubber is to develop applications in which the characteristics of the secondary material supports the requirement of the final product.

• New technologies and material blends are used to incorporate powdered rubber into other rubber based products such as:
     Wheels for caddies, dustbins, wheelbarrows, lawn mowers, etc
     Artificial floor covering for sports arenas
     Urban furniture and signposting
     Paving blocks and roofing materials
     Flooring for stables
     Protective flooring (schools, playgrounds etc); safety, sport and recreational mats
   
• Use in electric arc furnaces
  Shredded tyres can be used in electric arc furnaces, operating as a substitute for anthracite. This growing market application has great potential and effectively complements the geographical distribution of steel plants and cement kilns.
   
• Rubber-modified asphalt for road surfacing: the added powdered rubber enhances the longevity of the road surface and provides a quieter ride and improved safety in wet conditions.
   

Rubber-modified asphalt for road surfacing: the added powdered rubber enhances the longevity of the road surface and provides a quieter ride and improved safety in wet conditions.

Based on scientific and economic evidence, the tyre indusry wishes to further reinforce this slowly maturing recycling market with solid product and process standards. To this end, the sector promotes the development of proper standards for tyre derived products at national level (AFNOR, DIN etc…) to increase the market for these products and to secure the reliability of the supply flow. At European level, a Technical Committee (TC 366) has recently been initiated within CEN with the goal of defining specific requirements and test methods for the tyre recycling cycle, as well as for the re-utilisation of tyre derived products in a number of other applications.

Update 29 October 2008