U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Program

Fact #434: July 24, 2006
Scrap Tire Recycling

The recycling of scrap tires has come a long way in the last decade. In 1990, only 11% of the tires that were scrapped were recycled or reused, but by 2003, that share grew to 80%. Technologies continue to be developed to provide new uses for scrap tires, which helps not only to reduce the number of newly scrapped tires going into landfills, but helps to reduce the number of scrap tires that are already in stockpiles around the U.S. There has been a 75% reduction in scrap tire stockpiles from 1990 to 2003.

Graph showing the steady increase in the last decade of scrap tire recycling and decrease in scrap tire stockpiles. For more detailed information, see the table below.

Supporting Information


Tires Scrapped in the United States
Year Recycled or Reused
(millions of tires)		 Stockpiled/Landfill
(millions of tires)		 Total Tires Scrapped
(millions of tires)		 Share of Tires Recycled or Reused
1990 24.5 198.5 223.0 11%
1992 68.0 184.0 252.0 27%
1994 138.5 114.5 253.0 55%
1996 164.5 100.5 265.0 62%
1998 177.5 87.5 265.0 67%
2001 218.0 63.0 281.0 78%
2003 233.3 56.7 290.0 80%

Source: Rubber Manufacturers Association, U.S. Scrap Tire Markets, 2003 Edition, July 2004, Figure 2.0.

 

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