News - Yuntong Environmental Protection Tecnology Co.,Ltd.

The United States disposed of about 270 million scrap tires in 2010, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Recycling and other safe methods took care of about 80% of them, while other 50 million probably ended up in landfills, or were illegally dumped or buried, creating safety and environmental problems. In the 27 EU countries, the recovery rate for tires reached 96%, and 3.3 million tons of scrapped tires were managed in an environmentally sound manner, according to the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers' Association's 2010 End of Life Tyres Report. In China, 233 million tires were scrapped in 2009 or about 8.6 million tons, according to a China Tire Retreading Association report. Only 3 million tons or about 35% were recycled by shredding them to powder or by rubber reclaiming. Landfills Tires that are not desired are dumped at landfills causing many environmental problems. Due to their large volume and 75% void space, tires take up a lot of valuable space. Buried tires can trap methane gases, causing them to become buoyant, or rise up to the surface. This 'rising' effect can damage landfill liners that have been installed to help keep landfill contaminants from polluting local surface and ground water. Tire stockpiles create a great health and safety risk. Fires can occur easily, burning for months, creating substantial pollution in the air and ground. One example was the Heyope tire fire that started in 1989 near the Welsh border in Britain. 10 million tires burned underground, spewing acrid black smoke for more than 13 years, making it one of the longest tire fires in records and an environmental headache for the government. In the States, tire fires were also frequent with alarming consequences. In 1998, 7 million tires at an illegal tire disposal facility in Tracy, California burned for 26 months before it was distinguished in 2000. In 1999, arsonists started fire at a stockpile of tires in Sycamore, Ohio which took 250 firefighters 30 hours to control. Environment damage was significant and the Environment Protection Agency had to conduct a massive cleanup of the area in the intervening years. Also in that year, lightning struck a tire dump in Westley, California which burned for 30 days. Pyrolytic oil flowed into a nearby stream which also ignited. Tires retain heat and oxygen, which may cause them to ignite when they are piled or stacked. Burning tires emit toxic ultra-fine particles hazardous to health, especially when they contain heavy metals such as nickel and tin. Tire burning causes emission of sulfur dioxide to increase many folds and the dioxins produced when chlorinated elements in the tires burned have been proven to be carcinogenic. The burning also creates runoff of toxic oil, dangerous heavy metals and soot. Although tires are composed mostly of natural and synthetic rubber, they also contain chemicals and other materials that are toxic. These include sulfur, zinc, chromium, lead, copper, cadmium, paraffin, carbon black, oil, polymers, pigments and nylon materials. An additional health risk, tire piles provide harborage for vermin and a breeding ground for mosquitoes that may carry diseases. Even when they do not burn, there is a potential risk for the leaching of these toxins into the groundwater when placed in wet soils. This impact on the environment varies according to the pH level and conditions of local water and soil. Disasters like this happened all over the world at too frequent intervals with devastating results to the environment, and governments are aware that stockpiling or creating landfills for the discarded tires cannot be an efficient disposal solution Recycling Recycling of tires helps to reduce the number in storage and the impact on the environment. Here are some of the ways tire recycling is helping the world:- 1. Reclaimed Rubber Produced from used tires and waste rubber, it is considered to be the third source of rubber after natural and synthetic. Reclaiming rubber plays a crucial role in the economy of both developing and developed countries, besides its obvious benefits to the environment. It complements natural rubber, and offers many advantages such as price stability, improved productivity, energy saving and reducing rubber compound cost. It has established its worth and versatility, being used in manufacturing tires and other non-tire products like tubes, precure treads, belts and hoses, battery containers, and other molded and extruded products. 2. Civil Engineering Applications Shredded tires, also known as tire derived aggregate, have many civil engineering applications; they are now being used to replace other construction materials – as sub-grade fill for roads, for a lightweight backfill in gas venting systems, as a backfill for retaining walls, bridge abutments, and roadway landslide repair projects. Shredded tire material may also be used to cap, close, or provide daily cover of landfill sites. Scrap tires as a backfill and cover material are also more cost-effective, since tires can be shredded on-site instead of hauling in other fill materials. Research has shown that very little leaching occurs when shredded tires are used as light fill material; however, limitations have been put on use of this material; each site should be individually assessed determining if this product is appropriate for given conditions. 3. Ground Rubber Applications Rubber chips or crumbs from the shredding of tires could be used in rubber modified asphalt or other molded and extruded rubber products. Examples of rubber molded products are carpet padding or underlay materials, dock bumpers, patio decks, railroad crossing blocks, livestock mats, sidewalk pavers, rubber bricks for insulation, moveable speed bumps, and curbing/edging. The rubber can be molded with plastic for products like pallets and railroad ties. Athletic and recreational areas can also be paved with the shock absorbing rubber molded material. Rubber from tires is sometimes ground into medium-sized chunks and used as rubber mulch. Rubber crumb can also be used as an infill, alone or blended with coarse sand, as in infill for grass-like synthetic turf products.