While the exact number can’t be calculated, the consensus is there are around 1.4 billion cars in the world today, meaning there are about 5.6 billion tires currently in use. With an average tire life of about three to five years, a vehicle could go through upwards of twelve tires in its life cycle. Point is, we are using a lot of tires and sometimes these tires end up in landfills which can have extremely negative effects. In this Review of Continental Tire Garage Studio, we discuss why proper tire recycling is so important.
Approximately 280 million used tires are discarded each year, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Only about 30 million of these tires are retreaded or reused, leaving the remaining 250 million scrap tires to be managed.
If you don’t recycle tires at your shop and they’re left to go to the landfill, fires could occur as spontaneous combustion is possible in stockpiled tires due to their large exposed surface areas and permeability to airflow. Tire fires can burn for several days, sometimes months, emitting dangerous smoke.
As a tire breaks down in a landfill, its chemical makeup leeches and contaminates the ground and water surrounding it. There is also the possibility of spreading disease because discarded tires in stockpiles become homes for disease-carrying insects. Tires can also become filled with water and leaves where mosquitoes can live and feed.
Discarding tires in landfills can be extremely problematic. This is why you should recycle tires or make sure they are always getting properly handled.
