3 ways recycling your car tires helps the environment

November 25, 2014

Ever wonder what to do with your old tires once they’re worn out? Instead of throwing them away, discover three ways recycling them helps the environment.

3 ways recycling your car tires helps the environment

At a time when our planet is being destroyed by decades of industrial pollution, tire recycling seems like a pretty logical idea.

1. It keeps tires out of waterways and soil

First and foremost, dumps are crammed with scrap tires and as a result they are responsible for polluting many rivers.

  • As tires decompose, they release chemicals into the soil and water that are harmful to the environment.

2. It means your tires aren't being burned

Tires are often pulled out of landfills to be burned and used as a fuel source.

  • This process is very polluting and releases more harmful emissions into the atmosphere than methods used at tire recycling centres, which create very little waste.

3. Recycling tires reuses petrol

Recycling tires allows for the reuse of expensive petrol resources that are increasingly rare and difficult to extract.

How to recycle your tires

There are several ways to recycle your used tires.

  • You can bring them to a retailer, like a mechanic, tire dealership or other new tire vendor.
  • They will set the tires aside for recycling centres that regularly circulate to collect them.

However, be aware that some retailers and dealerships charge a fee to take the tires off your hands.

  • Alternately, you can take them directly to a recycling plant. If you know where the recycling plant is and it’s not too far from home, you can leave your tires directly with them.

What happens at the recycling centre

Once at the recycling centre, the tires will be destroyed by a chemical process called pyrolysis.

  • During the pyrolysis, vapors produced by combustion can be burned and converted into fuel, or condensed into an oily liquid.
  • This method leaves a much smaller carbon footprint compared to merely burning the tires.
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