www.ecobold.com/tire-recycling-company-west-coast-rubber-recycling/
West Coast Rubber teaches and shows you how a tire recycling company works. A friend of mine introduced me to the owner, Gary Kerr, and I spent an entire afternoon talking and walking through his tire plant and learning about the whole process. They're super experts and can even tell if a tire is good to be recycled by smelling the used tire! We also learned that the most difficult part of doing this work is the cost of the machines? I wouldn't doubt it because they have to be very strong and there are several steps on the recycling process. We visited the back of the plant and have some really neat things to show, especially the shredding machines.
Green facts: approximately 242 million tires are discarded every year in the Unites States alone?
Out of these:
- Less than 7% are recycled
- 11% are burned for fuel
- 5% are exported
The remaining 77% are sent to landfills, stockpiled or illegally dumped.
The end result of recycling them could be several things. Here is what West Coast Rubber talk about each of their final product:
Playground cover: known as the safest play surface on the market, GroundRubber Meets CPSC Surface Guidelines, as well as ASTM Guidelines (F-1292-99, and F-1951-99). At a depth of 6 inches, it provides the most shock absorption in playgrounds available on the market today. With GroundRubber installed, playgrounds are twice as safe as those with tan-bark, sand, pebbles and most other surfaces! Another cool fact is that it has the unique ability to reduce injuries due to falls from a critical height of over 12 feet! You can actually take an egg and drop it from a height of 12 feet and watch it bounce. They say that it might cost a little more, but it only needs to be installed once.
Landscape cover: made 100% from recycled truck tires. GroundMulch is a long lasting alternative to a natural mulch product, that will not require an annual replenishment. GroundMulch will give you many years of long lasting beauty!
Horse Arena Cover: it offers one of the safest and most resilient footings available for horses. GroundRubber can dramatically enhance the performance and comfort of your horses, and is appreciated by Dressage and Hunter Jumpers alike. GroundRubber is also odorless, and requires less watering and dragging than other footing products.
Molded products:
Slide tiles: besides providing a slip-resistant safety surface, Groundrubber slide tiles are also easy to install and maintain.
Wheel stops: being made of rubber, they can absorb and redistribute impact, and reduce risk of damage to vehicles or property when parking. They also last longer than conventional concrete wheel stops and they are virtually maintenance free.
Anti fatigue mats: these mats provide much-needed cushioning comfort, reduce fatigue, and improve productivity for your employees. The non-skid surface is impact and chemical resistant. The underside has protruding nubs which enable air circulation and keeps the floor dry. Anti-fatigue mats are fully washable and easy to maintain, and can be cut to specific dimensions.
They all come in several different colors you can choose from. It's non-toxic and safe.
Benefits of recycled rubber products:
- 100% California Recycled Tires
- Guaranteed 99.9% Steel Free
- Excellent shock absorption
- No Annual Replenishment
- Does Not Attract Vermin
- Environmentally Safe
- Does Not Decompose
- Helps Control Dust
- Reduces Puddles
- Easy to Maintain
- Long Lasting