TIRE RECYCLING
A FUTURE FOR EOL TIRES I
MAKING THE SHIFT TO A FREE MARKET MODEL FOR END-OF-LIFE TIRES IN ONTARIO
BY STEVE MELDRUM
n 1990, millions of stockpiled used tires burned for 17 days in Hagersville, Ontario, creating a serious environmental hazard. This laid the foundation for a sustainable tire recycling industry in Canada. The incident was a clarion call to the government that highlighted the need to establish an effective approach for management of used tires across the country. Since then, the tire recycling industry has made some major strides, with robust used tire recycling programs and industry bodies established across all Canadian provinces to manage sustainable and environment friendly recycling of end-of-life (EOL) tires.
EVOLUTION OF AN EOL TIRE
A tire is considered EOL when it can no longer be used on any vehicle (after having been re-treaded or re-grooved). While all tires eventually turn into EOL tires, the bulk of them come from passenger vehicles such as cars and trucks. The typical passenger tire contains 30 types of synthetic rubber, eight types of natural rubber, eight types of carbon black, steel cord, polyester, nylon, steel bead wire, silica and 40 different kinds of chemi-
cals, waxes, oils and pigments. Disposing of EOL tires in an environmentally friendly way has become the top priority across the tire ecosystem, requiring consistent collaboration among individual tire manufacturers, global governments and the tire industry. This is especially important considering that we generate an estimated one billion EOL tires globally, each year. According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), EOL tire management approaches can fall under three broad frameworks: industry responsibility, government/community responsibility and a free market approach. Industry tire responsibility puts the onus on tire distributors and manufacturers to collect EOL tires based on the number of units sold each year. This is usually managed by a separate not-for-profit organization. This model has become popular across Europe, Japan, Korea, Turkey, and now Ontario. Government/community responsibility typically involves a government body that becomes responsible for EOL tires, with an allocated budget set aside for this purpose. Lastly, the free market approach allows
It is estimated that one billion end-of-life tires are generated globally each year. 26 Recycling Product News January/February 2020
