RMA reports progress in reducing scrap tire piles

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 27, 2016) — The number of stockpiled scrap tires in the U.S. has fallen 93 percent in the past 25 years, to 70 million in 2015 from 1 billion in 1990, according to a new report from the Rubber Manufacturers Association.

Also, nearly 90 percent of all scrap tires generated in the U.S. reached end-use markets in 2015, according to the report, 2015 Scrap Tire Management Summary.

Stockpiled scrap tires have a tendency to collect water, making them prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes, RMA said Cleaning up stockpiles has become especially important with the threat of the Zika virus, it said.

“Effective state scrap tire management laws and programs advocated by RMA have produced a remarkable environmental success story,” said RMA President and CEO Anne Forristall Luke.

Just two states — Colorado (31 million) and Texas (17 million) — account for about 70 percent of the remaining tire stockpiles in the U.S., according to the RMA. Arkansas, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington also have major stockpiles, accounting for nearly 12 million tires altogether, the association said.

Tire-derived fuel (TDF) remains the largest single market for recycled scrap tires, at 48 percent, according to the RMA. Ground rubber is second at 26 percent, it said, followed by civil-engineering uses at 7 percent.

TDF is used primarily by the cement industry and pulp and paper makers as a supplemental fuel due to its high BTU (heat) content. Ground rubber markets include mulch, rubber modified asphalt, sport surfaces such as athletic tracks and some limited use in new tire manufacturing.  Civil engineering uses include tire aggregate as a replacement fill material for light rail vibration dampening, road embankments and other uses.

“More than two decades of successful scrap tire management have produced value-added products that today consume more than 200 million tires annually,” Ms. Forristall Luke said. “The dramatic reduction in scrap tire piles has reduced the threat of significant environmental harm caused when tire piles catch fire or sit and become mosquito and vermin breeding grounds.”

Ms. Forristal Luke said the tire industry faces an ongoing challenge to maintain the achievements in stockpile reduction and market development as states reassess priorities and budgets.

As states become complacent after many years of successful scrap tire management, they sometimes shift funds raised from state tire fees into other projects, a practice that can risk an increase in illegal tire piles and reduced funding for cleanup of abandoned piles, she added.

“States that have passed laws with dedicated funding need to remain vigilant and protect programs to prevent a resurgence of scrap tire problems,” she said. “A great deal has been accomplished through working partnerships between state policymakers, recyclers and the tire manufacturing industry. Our shared goal should be zero stockpiles and a commitment toward a cleaner environment and a vibrant, growing scrap tire market.”