LANDFILLS FULL OF USED TIRES
MAY BE A THING OF THE PAST
LANDFILLS FULL OF USED TIRES
MAY BE A THING OF THE PAST
For those of us who grew up in the 1970’s, hearing about the increasing number of landfills full of used car tires was often in the news. In school, many of us were told that if we could figure out what to do with used car tires we would make millions. Pictures of landfills overflowing with used car and truck tires were a common site and discussion topic. Many individuals and companies were eagerly trying to figure out what they could do with old tires.
Almost four decades later, there are many companies using tire scraps to turn a profit… only the talk is no longer about making millions of dollars, but rather about becoming an environmentally friendly society. Today millions and millions of pounds of rubber are recycled every year and turned into useful, long lasting products. Once these recycled rubber products reach the end of their life, they can be recycled again and again.
Some of the many products that are now produced using recycled tire scraps include: Horse stall mats, horse trailer mats, doggy daycare flooring, athletic facility mats and floors, park and recreation surfacing, backpacks, purses, wallets and much more.
One of the current uses for recycled rubber is the production of outdoor door mats. Many companies sell a variety of beautifully designed home and office door mats.
Based on current figures published by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately 290 million used truck and automobile tires are discarded by Americans every year. About 80% of these are now being recycled, which is wonderful, but that leaves about 58 million used tires that continue to fill our landfills each year! Keeping old tires out of landfills is still a battle, but, fortunately, the recycling of car and truck tires is getting much more popular, and many quality products are being developed with used tires… every time someone purchases one of these products they are helping to preserve the environment by depleting our landfills.
Obviously, merely putting old tires to good use won’t save the planet, but no one thing will… it’s about changing and improving many things we have done for years… and it’s about changing our mindset and doing what’s right for everyone, not just what’s best for us personally.
Help make a difference and support quality products made from used tires.
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