Car tyres recycling, what for?

Every year, millions of car tyres are discarded in the Netherlands. Many of these tyres are collected from tyre companies by authorised waste recycling companies. Most tyre dealers send old tyres to recycling companies. Where the car tyres are transformed into items you use every day, such as: 

• Mouse pads
• Rugs 
• Backpacks 
• Playgrounds 
• Underlays for carpets
• Football pitches

It is now compulsory to recycle car tyres. Leaving them in a landfill is not allowed. However, to get around the rules, some scrap yard owners are tempted to burn them. This frees up space, but the air is seriously polluted with toxic fumes.

What are the guidelines in the Netherlands for recycling tyres?

Since 2005, the rule has been that these end-of-life tyres must be reused by 20%.

Importers and producers of car tyres have been responsible for processing and collecting discarded car tyres since 2004. The introduction of this rule has reduced the illegal dumping of car tyres in the environment and also reduced the incineration of car tyres. 

How are tyres recycled? 

Because of the mix of chemicals used in tyres, they can be difficult to recycle. If car tyres have had a hard life, it can be more difficult to recycle tyres. This is because of oil and other substances that have contaminated the rubber.

When tyres are really worn down to the seams, the canvas becomes visible. When this stage is reached, tyres can be recycled in several ways. They can be used in the refurbishment of a used tyre to give it a second life, or they can be used as a component in the products mentioned above.

From tyre to fuel

Recycled tyres can also be used as fuel. The tyres are converted into oil using pyrolysis technology, a thermal decomposition process produced by very high temperatures that is often sold for heating furnaces.

There are also other applications for old tyres that do not require a mechanical recycling process. Tyres can be used as bumpers on race tracks and kart circuits, etc.

Small rubber particles

Rubber particles are small pieces of rubber that come from car tyres. These particles can be reused in playgrounds (soft floors), sports fields and so on. artificial turf football pitches. These initially seemed to offer a perfect maintenance-free solution for football clubs, but the health risks remain a question mark. In addition, many rubber particles disappear into nature. These particles are very poorly degradable and are thus a burden on nature. Therefore, the aforementioned products are better alternatives to incorporate the rubber.