Car Tyre Recycling: Everything You Need to Know
Each year, the automotive industry rolls out millions of vehicles, each of them fitted with tyres that, over time, wear out and require replacement.
Car tyres are made out of plastic and rubber, which poses the pressing environmental question: what should we do with the ever-growing pile of discarded car tyres? Luckily, car tyre recycling has emerged as an essential to tackle this challenge. But what exactly does the car tyre recycling process involve, and how can skip hire help you get rid of your old tyres?
The Importance of Car Tyre Recycling
Take it from Kent Skips, your go-to skip hire company covering Suffolk and Norfolk — knowing how to dispose of your old tyres properly is vital.
Car tyre recycling is the process of reusing or repurposing old tyres, and diverting them from landfill and incinerators. Often, your garage will take care of your car tyre recycling for you. However, it’s not always possible to know for sure how — and if — your car tyres are being recycled.
If you’re getting your car tyres replaced, you can ask your garage to give them back to you so that you can recycle them yourself.
The Recycling Process
Recycling car tyres involves several steps, from collection to shredding, grinding, and separation.
Collection and Transportation
The first step is the collection and transportation of discarded car tyres to recycling facilities. This is where skip-hire services play a critical role.
Skip hire companies provide specialised containers to collect and transport large quantities of tyres efficiently. These skips are designed to ensure the safe and secure transportation of tyres to recycling facilities.
Shredding
Once at the recycling facility, the tyres are shredded into small pieces using industrial shredders. This process helps in reducing the volume of tyres and preparing them for further processing.
Grinding
After shredding, the tyre pieces undergo grinding, resulting in even smaller particles. This step further breaks down the rubber, separating it from steel and fabric components.
Separation
The final step involves separating the various materials derived from the tyres. Magnetised equipment is used to extract the steel components, while specialised machinery is employed to separate the rubber from the fabric.
The rubber can then be used in various applications, including making new tyres or as a component in road construction.
What Are The Benefits of Car Tyre Recycling?
Car tyre recycling offers a range of benefits that are both environmental and economic for you.
Environmental Benefits
Whilst it may seem quite self-explanatory, car tyres require a huge amount of energy to make thanks to their thickness and durability. So it’s important to try to recycle them properly.
- Reduced landfill usage: By diverting tyres from landfills, recycling reduces the environmental impact of tyre disposal.
- Energy conservation: Recycling consumes less energy compared to manufacturing new tyres from raw materials.
- Reduction in pollution: Recycling prevents tyre fires, which can release toxic chemicals into the air.
- Conservation of natural resources: Recycling minimises the need for virgin rubber and other materials.
Economic Benefits
Not only is car tyre recycling good for the environment, but it can also help both you and the economy you live in, save money too.
- Job creation: The recycling industry provides employment opportunities, contributing to local economies.
- Cost savings: Using recycled rubber in tyre manufacturing can reduce production costs.
- Market growth: The demand for recycled tyre products, such as rubber mulch and crumb rubber, is on the rise, creating new market opportunities.
Car Tyre Recycling with Kent Skips
Whether you’re passionate about eco-friendly practices or simply need a responsible way to dispose of old car tyres, the team at Kent Skips is here to help with our range of skip sizes. Whether you need a Load and Go skip, or you need to hire a skip for an extended period, we offer efficient solutions for your tyre disposal needs.
If you have a stack of old tyres that need recycling or want to learn more, contact us today to get started.