Have you ever wondered what happens to tires after they become old, worn out, and irreplaceable? Unfortunately, many individuals consider disposing of their tires through environmentally harmful techniques. Only a few consider recycling and reusing their tires, which are ideal actions on how to dispose of old tires. Here is what happens to recycled tires and a detailed breakdown of the recycling process.
What Is Tire Recycling?
Tire recycling is finding ways to recycle old and used vehicle tires that are in no condition to function safely on the road. Others refer to it as the rubber recycling process. Used tires pose the most significant threat to solid waste contamination, and recycling helps keep the earth greener and promotes road safety.
Tire recycling involves processing worn-out tires for other constructive uses. These tires are no longer functional because of the damage and wear experienced. The process benefits most firms because of the high number of end-of-life tires.
How Are Tires Recycled?
Waste Tire Collection
The first step in tire recycling is the collection of materials. The companies involved in recycling find individuals and businesses with used tires and collect them as materials in the process. Sometimes, they form contractual agreements with scrap collectors to deliver recyclable tires for a fee.
Shredding
After collecting raw materials, the next step is to start the tire processing. The old tires are cut into small pieces in the first stage of tire processing to reduce their size into one that can be handled more efficiently. There are tire shredders that have sharp rotating shafts producing two-inch-long tire shreds.
There are two forms of tire processing, either through cryogenic or mechanical systems. The mechanical shredding system cuts your tires into smaller pieces using a granulator to determine the shred sizes. Cryogenic systems freeze your tires and shatter the rubber into smaller-sized portions.
Steel Liberation
The steel liberation stage is where the rubber and wires in a tire get separated. The steel wires in tires increase strength and resilience, and removal is necessary before recycling. Once separated, the leftover rubber is used as rubber mulch, while the wires can prove helpful in roll mills to build new tires.
Screening and Cleaning
Screening and cleaning are necessary to ensure no wires are left in the rubber. The essence of the cleaning process is to eliminate unwanted substances from recycled material. When cleaning, manufacturers use water and cleaning agents for a thorough cleanse.
Packaging
The final stage of tire recycling is packaging and arranging for transportation. The clean rubber extracted gets packed and delivered to factories using it as raw material. The number of items you can make from recycled rubber is endless, and common examples include playground turfs or rubber shoes.
Understanding what is tire recycling will help you make better choices toward keeping the environment green, and you can find information here. Alaska Car Crushing & Recycling LLC is the only wrecking company in its region to invest in environmentally friendly recycling and disposal practices. Contact us for your recycling needs as we guarantee safe collection and disposal quests.