ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF END-OF-LIFE TIRES

Over 1 billion end-of-life tires (ELTs) are disposed of worldwide yearly, many of which end up in landfills or are incinerated. At Klean Industries, we are committed to addressing the issue of ELT waste by employing innovative pyrolysis methods and advanced circular industrial processes.

ELTs have a considerable environmental impact. Sustainability challenges arise at various stages of a tire’s life cycle, from manufacturing to disposal.

The production of new rubber tires generates a significant amount of CO2. Improper disposal of ELTs further contributes to land and air pollution.

Over 26 million tonnes of new tires are produced worldwide annually, with an average product life of 4 to 6 years. 

This means a significant and consistent flow of ELT waste must be managed.

GLOBAL ELT WASTE IN NUMBERS

The environmental impact is significant when end-of-life tires (ELTs) are dumped or incinerated rather than recycled. Each year:

• 3.4 million tonnes of ELT waste are collected in the EU.
• Globally, more than one billion ELTs are generated.
• 46 percent of ELTs are fully or partially incinerated, releasing millions of tons of CO2.

Between 2018 and 2020, an estimated 18 million metric tons of CO2 were released due to the incineration of ELTs. This amount is equivalent to the yearly CO2 emissions of 3.9 million cars. The 1.8 billion tires manufactured yearly contribute to a substantial carbon footprint.

Fortunately, technology now exists to recycle and reuse ELTs sustainably into materials and products.

Learn how Klean Industries is leading the way in developing and implementing these processes » GO.

A GROWING TIRE MARKET

What is driving this growing problem? This article delves into the impact of ELTs on our society and the environment, along with relevant statistics and insights regarding tire waste.

Tires are ubiquitous.  

In examining the tire market’s growth, two main factors become evident: the rising production of new cars and the increasing demand for tires. These dynamics illustrate how shifts in the automotive industry impact tire usage and waste management.

THE RISE IN SALES OF NEW VEHICLES

With car production set to hit 98.9 million per year by 2025, the challenge of tire waste becomes clearer. In 2020, the European Union (EU) had 294 million passenger cars and 41 million trucks, and by 2040, the world is expected to have 2 billion cars and 790 million trucks. This means more tires are produced for those cars, and the issue isn’t going away.

Every year, millions of new vehicles hit the road. In 2022, about 65 million cars were sold, with slight growth from the 68 million sold in 2021. India and China are key markets, with India projected to have 150 vehicles per thousand people by 2040.

THE RISE OF NEW TIRES, ESPECIALLY WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The increasing demand for new vehicles has surged tire production worldwide. The EU is a prime example of this increase, with 4.2 million tonnes of tires manufactured in 2020. This robust production is fueled by 93 tire production centers scattered across the region.

However, the EU faces a notable imbalance between tire imports and exports.

In 2020:

• Passenger and light commercial vehicle tires: 115.9 million imported, 75.2 million exported
• Truck and bus tires: 5.86 million imported, 5.3 million exported
• Moto and scooter tires: 8.83 million imported, 3.2 million exported
• Agricultural tires: 5.07 million imported, 0.732 million exported

The EU could enhance its recycling efforts to address the import-export imbalance in the tire market. This approach may increase the supply of raw materials within the EU, reducing the need for tire imports. Additionally, by implementing more significant sustainable initiatives for recycling used tires, the EU can foster a more self-sufficient and environmentally responsible tire market.

THE RESULT: MORE WASTE TIRES

The increasing number of cars manufactured directly leads to more waste tires produced. This ongoing trend is not sustainable, and the petroleum-based materials used in tire production are finite resources. It is essential to rethink our current approach to tire manufacturing and align it with the principles of a circular economy.

Consider this: in the USA alone, an astonishing 317 million waste tires are discarded yearly—equal to 9 tires every second. This means that every year, one new waste tire is generated for every person in the country.

What happens to all these tires once they’re no longer on the road? A significant portion, around 75%, end up in landfills. ELTs make up nearly 2% of total global waste, leading to environmental and health hazards due to improper waste management. 

Fortunately, technology exists to recycle nearly all tire components, from rubber to steel. Europe leads the way in tire recycling, giving tires a new life and demonstrating viable alternatives to dumping ELTs in landfills.

We are progressing steadily towards a circular economy, moving away from the traditional linear manufacturing model and adopting circular solutions. Jesse Klinkhamer, CEO of Klean Industries Inc., commented on our current stage, stating that self-organization on a larger scale is underway, and the industry has become more mature, organized, and competent.

WASTE TIRE MANAGEMENT

The proportion of ELTs sent to landfills in the EU decreased from 50% in 1996 to only 4% in 2015.
Various ELT treatment methods have been employed to reduce landfilling, including pyrolysis, recycling, retreading, and energy recovery. Despite these efforts, the current level of ELT recovery remains inadequate.

A 2019 report found that, globally, only 42% of ELTs were utilized in material recovery and 15% in energy recovery across 45 surveyed countries: Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, the USA, and the European countries in the ETRMA scope.

In the EU, approximately 95% of ELTs were collected for recycling in 2019, amounting to 3.55 million tonnes. These tires were treated and used as follows:

1. 55% or 1.95 Mt for material recovery, including recycling and civil engineering applications.
2. 40% or 1.43 Mt for Energy recovery, primarily as fuel in cement kilns and power plants.
3. 5% went through miscellaneous processes, including stockpiling.

Millions of waste tires are repurposed as alternative energy sources, known as tire-derived fuel, and burned in kilns for cement, steel, pulp, and paper production.

This market is expected to expand due to its cost-effectiveness and reported reductions in carbon emissions. Tire-derived fuel has the potential to mitigate the environmental impact of many industries while aiding in tire waste disposal.

Tire waste, including carbon emissions, impacts the environment through air, water, and soil pollutants. When old tires end up in the environment, local wildlife and health concerns are just a few of the many problems that can arise.

MANAGING END-OF-LIFE TIRES

Tires pose a significant environmental and social challenge that requires our attention. Despite commitments to recycling and promoting environmental responsibility, tire waste continues to increase. Globally, an estimated one billion end-of-life tires (ELTs) are discarded each year, and this figure is rising.

The properties that make tires durable can also make them slow to degrade if ELTs are not appropriately treated. Globally, two-thirds of the billions of ELTs remain untreated and end up as illegal dumps or landfills. These dumped tires have a negative impact because they attract rodents, become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and emit chemicals as they decompose slowly.

Piling up millions of tires carries the risk of ignition, and tire fires are difficult to put out. Some piles have been left to burn for months, releasing toxic fumes that pollute air and water. 

Furthermore, in landfills, the chemical 6PPD added to tires reacts with ground ozone, producing a more toxic form, 6PPD-Q. Also, dumped tires in oceans and seas trap marine animals. For example, over 200 hermit crabs get trapped in tires annually, remaining stuck and starving.

The good news is that treatments for tire waste have produced measurable environmental benefits. Recycling ELTs and turning them into valuable commodities can prevent the emission of 613 kg of CO2 equivalent per metric tonne.

The environmental, social, and business benefits of tire recycling through pyrolysis include the reduction of:

• Human toxicity (HTP) and ozone layer depletion (ODP) by 90%.
• Abiotic depletion (ADP) of fossil fuels and minerals by 84%.
• CO2 emissions of 2.5 tonnes CO2 for each metric tonne of virgin carbon black produced.

WEAR AND TEAR WASTE EFFECTS

The wear and tear of car tires generates almost 2,000 times more particle pollution than modern car exhausts. In the UK, for instance, around 52% of all the small particle pollution from road transport came from tire and brake wear, plus a further 24% from abrasion of roads and their paint markings. Just 15% of the particle pollution came from car exhaust, and an additional 10% came from the exhaust of vans and HGVs.

Tire-wear particles comprise tire fragments, synthetic rubbers, fillers, and road surface particles ranging from nano to microscale, contributing to environmental contamination. With approximately 6 million tonnes of tire wear particles released globally each year, the consequences are twofold: 

• Tire particles contribute to 5-10% oceanic microplastic pollution, posing risks to aquatic life and human health as they enter the food chain.
• 3–7% of particulate matter in the air comprises tire particles, exacerbating air quality issues and impacting public health.

TIRE WASTE IS A GLOBAL PROBLEM

The waste produced from ELTs significantly impacts the environment and the health and well-being of humans and wildlife. This global waste problem must be addressed at the business level, with companies incorporating more sustainable product alternatives into their supply chain and developing products that start with sustainable solutions.

At Klean Industries, we enable tire manufacturers to do just this — by providing recovered carbon black (rCB), recovered Tire Pyrolysis Oil (TPO), and recovered steel wire (rSW) from ELTs as sustainable alternatives to current industrial production.

Please get in touch with Klean Industries to learn more about our end-of-life tire solutions » GO.