Extraordinary advances in tyre recycling …but more needs to be done.

A recent toxic fire in regional South Australia was a grim reminder that more needs to be done to put an end to dangerous tyre stockpiles.

Tyre Stewardship Australia CEO Lina Goodman said this is an environmental problem we could tackle head on if we all worked together to support Australia’s tyre circular economy – and we all have a part to play.

A circular economy means products made can be repurposed at the end of their life, giving them a second, third and fourth life in new applications. It applies to products we’re familiar with recycling – such as glass jars – and even our old tyres.

“We have a horrible situation where tyre stockpiles can occur. Where there is a tyre stockpile, there is the potential for fire,” Ms Goodman said. “That’s what happened a few weeks back in South Australia, when a tyre stockpile caught fire causing an environmental disaster.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Tyre retailers, recyclers and collectors accredited by Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) are committed to reducing the risk of tyre stockpiles by disposing of used tyres responsibly. And contributing tyre brands are supporting TSA’s funding program to repurpose used tyres in innovative ways, like creating permeable pavements that can potentially reduce the impact of flash flooding in urban areas.

‘If you make a footpath permeable, you can divert water to the trees, and this reduces the risk of tree-roots cracking footpaths’ Dr Amir Mehdizadeh, Managing Director and co-founder, Porous Lane

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR AN OLD PROBLEM

Our old tyres can now form part of the built environment around us, with a large variety of products able to be made out of them. This includes rubber crumb asphalt for roads, sports surfaces, noise walls and permeable pavements.

Dr Amir Mehdizadeh is the Managing Director and co-founder of Melbourne start-up, Porous Lane. He explained how using recycled tyres to create permeable pavement in products such as footpaths, car parks and local roads can actively work to reduce environmental problems in the city like flash flooding and the heat island effect.

“The stormwater capacity in established suburbs can’t be easily increased. So, if you add impermeable surfaces, you push the water into the drain system. If it rains for two hours straight, there is no way for that water to drain. And when the water management system is overloaded you see flash flooding,” Dr Mehdizadeh explained.

But he said if roads and footpaths were permeable, the water could drain through to the ground underneath.

“It takes a load from the stormwater system. It’s a solution to flash flooding.”

Another advantage of permeable pavement is that it is high integrity. When trees make footpaths bulge and crack, it’s because their roots are searching for water. But permeable pavement is stronger – and more high functioning – than both bitumen and asphalt.

“If you make a footpath permeable, you can divert water to the trees, and this reduces the risk of tree-roots cracking footpaths,” Dr Mehdizadeh said. “It saves on watering required to the value of about $50 per season for every tree in some councils. For a local council with thousands of trees to water, this can add up to big savings.

But perhaps the biggest advantage of permeable pavement is reducing the impact of city heat islands. Dr Mehdizadeh said suburbs with a lot of concrete and fewer trees are up to four degrees hotter than areas with more vegetation.

“By having permeable pavement we can have air circulation – which is cooler than traditional materials like concrete or bitumen.”

”The biggest game-changer won’t come from innovation, but rather making everyone manage old tyres responsibly. This means we need government legislation” Lina Goodman, Tyre Stewardship Australia CEO

We need a gamechanger

Ms Goodman said she was thrilled TSA can support innovative organisations such as Porous Lane, and is excited about the new products that can be made from old tyres.

But because Australia’s Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme is a voluntary system, not everyone is doing their part.

”The biggest game-changer won’t come from innovation, but rather making everyone manage old tyres responsibly. This means we need government legislation,” Ms Goodman said.

While Australians currently reuse about 10 per cent of our old tyres for new products onshore, it’s a far cry from countries like Canada and France, where close to 100 per cent of their old tyres are recycled and reused onshore.

“The market by itself is not going to fix the problem,” said Ms Goodman, who is pushing for the Federal Government to enact legislation that would require state and local governments to mandate the use of recycled tyre material (called crumb rubber) in their roads.

“Rubberised roads perform better – they last longer, crack less, reduce noise and have high UV resistance. If governments stepped up and had procurement policies to use crumb rubber in our roads, we could go from recovering 10 per cent of our used tyres in Australia, to up to 55 per cent.”

Ms Goodman said she was thrilled TSA can support innovative organisations such as Porous Lane, and is excited about the new products that can be made from old tyres. But because Australia’s Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme is a voluntary system, not everyone is doing their part.

“Consumers can make their tyres last longer by regularly checking their tyre’s air pressure, and have them regularly rotated. They should also go to My Tyres My Choice and look for a TSA accredited retailer that has made a commitment to responsibly managing your old tyres, when you buy new ones.”

Original article posted here

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TSA News > Extraordinary advances in tyre recycling …but more needs to be done.

Extraordinary advances in tyre recycling …but more needs to be done.

Extraordinary advances in tyre recycling …but more needs to be done.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR AN OLD PROBLEM

We need a gamechanger