TABLE OF CONTENTS John K. Bell
Based on 2001 data, scrap tires represented nearly 5.7 million tons, or about 1.8 percent, of the total solid waste stream generated annually in the United States. In terms of quantity, this percentage translates to nearly 281 million waste tires (RMA, 2002a). These in turn are part of the estimated 1.4 billion scrap tires that are generated worldwide. Markets consumed approximately 218 million scrap tires, whole or shredded, from this annual waste stream. Fifty-three percent of these were used as tire-derived fuel (TDF), 19 percent as ground and stamped rubber products, 18 percent as civil engineering applications, 7 percent as exports, and 3 percent as miscellaneous exports (RMA, 2002a). The remainder of this waste stream, roughly 6 million tires, went to stockpiles, landfill disposal, single-material tire monofills, or was disposed of illegally in some manner.
The term scrap tire generally refers to an inflatable rubber tubular covering encircling the wheel of a vehicle (automobile, truck, bus, or aircraft) that has been thrown away because it is no longer suitable for its original intended use due to wear, damage, or defect. This definition can be further refined to relate to specific tire processes or to be incorporated into various jurisdictional regulations. It is often used interchangeably with the term waste tire, though a waste tire can also refer to a tire that cannot be reused.
Scrap tires are composed of natural and manufactured synthetic rubbers, along with various additives, as shown in the following...
