In this section we will attempt to answer some of the questions about the scrap tire and rubber recycling industry that we hear in our offices everyday.
For more information contact us or see our publications.

While we may not be able to answer every question, we will attempt to answer those questions that are most frequently asked.
If you have a question you would like answered, please send email to:
[email protected]

How Do I Get Into The Tire/Rubber Recycling Business?

• Write down your personal/corporate goals
• Investigate your specific situation
  - location / processor / markets
• Find reliable sources of information
  - print media / associations
  - knowledgeable individuals / suppliers
  - potential customers / gov't sources / web resources

Where Do I Get Tires Or Tire Derived Feed Stocks?

Amount Available:

• Approximately 270 million tires scrapped each year in the U.S. (1998)
• 1 tire per person discarded per year in the U.S.
• 65% are being "reused"
• Up to 40% plus stockpiles still available

Tire Collection:

• Regionally or locally specific
• Subject to state or local regulations
• Landfill or other restrictions may apply

Key Players:

• Generators of the scrap
  (tire and rubber manufacturers, retailers, fleets, service centers)
• State and local governments which regulate the scrap
• Collectors who pick up and move the scrap - includes:
  - licensed carriers / haulers / municipal fleets
  - waste management industry
  - tire jockeys

See the Scrap Tire & Rubber Users Directory

What is the scope of the tire recycling business in the U.S.?

• Total U.S. demand approx. 177 million tires
• Markets:
  approx. number of scrap tires used for:

1. fuel: 114 million
2. civil engineering: 20 million
3. exported: 15 million
4. other: 13 million (includes tires cut, stamped/punched for fabricated products)

How do I get government approval?

• Can be very complex
• 48 states have scrap tire legislation
• The typical state program has all or most of the following components:

1. fee/tax at sale of tire for funding of scraptire management/disposal
   (30 states currently have such a fee)
2. permitting or licensing requirements for scraptire collectors, processors and disposition (e.g. monofill sites)
3. tracking forms requiring certification by the generator, collector and processor (or final disposition site)
4. dedicated tire program fund
5. enforcement program and personnel
   

• Need to have a plan

    - business plan

    - processing needs

    - processing system

• Match plan against regulatory requirements, industry standards, and market conditions
• Communicate with all agencies
• Work with regulators: not against them
• Hire professionals to help
• Get assistance from suppliers
• Allow time to complete; be specific about details
• Don't get frustrated!
• Contact Scrap Tire News for more information