Can I Recycle Tires?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans wear out about 290 million tires a year, and recycle 233 million of them.This number is actually astonishing and lands way above the recycling rate for some items that we would think would be recycled at a far higher rate.

Aluminum recycling rates are at an average of about 66%, while PET plastic recycling comes in at a disappointing rate of only about 35%.


Tire recycling has been perfected, in a sense, and ends up serving many purposes. Most of us are aware that material from recycled tires can be chopped up to create a soft landing at a playground, but did you know that over 100 uses are available for recycled tire material? Some of them are listed below:

• Highly-durable, rubber-encased railroad ties
• Rubberized asphalt
• Eco-friendly, low maintenance decks for homes
• Running tracks and basketball courts
• Sound barrier walls to soften highway sounds for neighborhoods

These uses are just the beginning of some very innovative ideas that have come from the rubber reclaimed from used tires.

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