Fact #341: October 11, 2004
Tire Recycling
In 2001, the United States generated 281 million scrap tires. Nearly 78% of those scrap tires were reused, recycled, or recovered; that is a dramatic change from 1990, when only 11% of the scrap tires were reused, recycled, or recovered. New ways to use tires that are no longer needed on vehicles have been developed over the last 10–15 years, and the number of uses continues to grow. Scrap tires are used as fuel for cement kilns, pulp and paper mills, and boilers. Some tires are ground into small pieces and used as an asphalt modifier or as a ground cover on children's playgrounds. To learn more about the uses of scrap tires, visit the U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association web site.
Supporting Information
| 1990 | 11.0% |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 27.0% |
| 1994 | 54.7% |
| 1996 | 62.1% |
| 1998 | 65.7% |
| 2001 | 77.6% |
|
Source: U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association, U.S. Scrap Tire Markets 2001. | |
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