Ever Wondered What Happens to your Old Car Tires?

When your tires have reached the end of their tread life, be sure to reach out to one of the many scrap tire programs across the country that ensure used tires are responsibly recycled.

Retailers and automotive shops across Canada participate in various recycling programs to keep tires out of landfills and help them to be repurposed into other materials such as synthetic athletic turf, flooring and even other tires.

The Canadian Association of Tire Recycling Agencies is made up of tire recycling agencies in all 10 provinces and the Yukon Territory and helps these agencies share information to ensure proper management of end-of-life tires. They also collect data so consumers can see the number of tires being recycled in their home province and Canada.

How Tire Recycling Works

Tire recycling is a very industrial process, so we’ll let an expert explain. Vancouver’s Breakfast Television interviewed Jim Baker of KAL Tire at the Western Rubber Group’s tire recycling facility in Delta, BC. He describes the Be Tire Smart program and how drivers can properly care for and maintain their tires. You can watch the interview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjfEX8JApZs

More Ways Tire Manufacturers are Making “Greener” Tires

In addition to improving fuel economy by lowering rolling resistance, tire manufacturers are finding innovative ways to lower the environmental footprint of their products more broadly. These include:

• Reducing materials used to substituting traditional materials with recycled and/or other environmentally preferable alternatives.
• Improving efficiency at the manufacturing plant level.
• Promoting efficient and responsible product use and management across a tire’s life cycle.

As government and industry continue to tackle climate and environmental protection, expect to see more innovation in rubber compounding and tire construction technologies in the future as tire manufacturers work closely with automakers to design next-generation tires and onboard diagnostic tools.

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