SOLUTIONS

There are a number of uses for used tyres, followed by TRACA members, starting with prevention and minimization, reuse and recycling. TRW follows the guidelines suggested by the NZ TRACA:

Used tyre hierarchy

Prevention & minimisation: Education to make tyres last longer, such as regular tyre rotation and alignment.
Reuse: Since 2000, retreads have only been permitted on trucks in NZ, however shredding offers a number of options, such as artificial turf and road projects.
Recycling: The extraction of the tyres constituents, such as oils and steel, produced by pyrolysis, a process which is uses the tyre’s own energy.
Recovery: Using the tyre’s energy and material in cement kilns, or plants for electric power generation.

A pyrolysis machine press tyres into smaller, tighter bundles

Around 100 car tyres are pressed into a 80x80x150cm bundle, weighing around 800kg, and ready for export. Multiple bundles are loaded into a container for export.

Disposal

More and more vehicles appear on NZ roads every year, which also means there are more tyres being used and disposed. And when you buy new tyres, where do the old tyres go? It’s something seldom considered by the average consumer, but a huge problem for our ecosystem, and for current and future generations. In Europe, more than 80 percent of old tyres are processed for reuse or recycling via the Responsible Recycler Scheme, and since 2006, EU rules have banned the disposal of tyres in landfill sites.

Transfer stations will no longer except tyres for landfill. Disposal Fee applies per tyre.

Tyre Uses

Through recycling and reuse, there are many ways end-of-life tyres can become useful and effective. From grounding for children’s playgrounds, artificial turf and athletics fields, rubberised roads that help reduce road noise by 25 percent, to retaining walls for construction, racetrack safety barriers, commercial and private uses. If you’ve got an idea for old tyres, or would like free tyres for your own art, design or sculpting project, contact Tyre Recycling Waikato.