3 Solutions to the Worldwide Waste Tire Problem!
Every year, we produce about 486,000 tons of used tires, in the UK alone. That is about 55 million tires! The recycling efforts have not been able to keep up with the demand for quality rubber products, which means that all those waste tires are piling up (Kuwait has a tire dump of 2 square kilometre with more than 40 million tires).
There are three solutions to this worldwide problem:
1) Keep producing new tires despite the recycling efforts
2) Force businesses and consumers to use a specified percentage of recycled rubber in their products
3) Stop making so many tires!
Solutions to the worldwide waste tire problem
One solution to the worldwide waste tire problem is to keep producing new tires despite the recycling efforts. That way, we can still get a useable product out of something that would be a waste material. The second solution is to force businesses and consumers to use a specified percentage of recycled rubber in their products. This would take pressure off the recycling efforts and ensure that people are using more of what they have. The third solution is to stop making so many tires! By producing less, there will be less demand for them, which will mean fewer waste tires overall.
New Tire production
The first possible solution to the worldwide waste tire problem is to keep producing new tires despite the recycling efforts. As mentioned, there is a huge demand for quality rubber products. The reason there are so many old tires is because they wear down and need to be replaced. Plus, the cost of recapping tires is more expensive than making new ones.
To help reduce the number of old tires, manufacturers could make their products with a higher percentage of recycled rubber. In Europe, manufacturers are required to use a certain percentage of recycled rubber in their products or face penalties by law.
What is Pyrolysis?
Pyrolysis is a process that can be used to turn waste tires into usable products. Waste tire pyrolysis requires heating the tires in an oxygen-free environment. The heat breaks down the tire’s components, like carbon and other hydrocarbons, into simpler compounds, which can then be processed into things like gasoline or oil.
Reduce tire production
The easiest solution to the worldwide tire problem is, of course, reducing production. Less tires means less waste. There are a couple of ways your business can help decrease tire production and reduce the amount of waste these tires cause.
One way is by making sure that you are choosing tires with recycled rubber content. Reducing the percentage of new tires without recycled rubber will have an overall positive effect on the environment. Another way to lessen the demand for new tires would be to reuse your old ones more often by using them as mulch or for gardening.
Conclusion
The world is facing a huge waste tire problem and it is time to take action. Fortunately, there are solutions to this problem.
First, there is improving materials used in new tire production. This is the ultimate solution because it eliminates the need to consume any additional natural resources to produce tires. Second, the world needs to reduce tire production. This will help reduce the demand for new tires and help limit tire consumption. Finally, we need to use a process called pyrolysis to create usable materials from waste tires. This process is a newer solution to the tire problem because it produces materials that have many potential uses.
All three of these solutions will have a positive impact on our world and help solve the tire waste problem!