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Iowa has a diverse and growing market for products processed and derived from waste tires. Waste tire
processors in Iowa market tire shreds, tire chips and "crumb rubber" to markets both in Iowa and
across the Midwest.
In 2003, Iowa tire recyclers processed more than 5 million tires, including tires picked up from
out-of-state. Iowa-based markets alone absorbed more than 3.5 million waste tires.These markets
include the use of TDF in a cement kiln in Mason City, the processing and sale of crumb rubber to
Iowa businesses that manufacture poured-in-place athletic track surfaces and turf amendment materials,
and other products made of crumb rubber that are molded or extruded into products.
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Photo courtesy of Welch Products, Carlisle, Iowa
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Tire-derived fuel (TDF): 2 million tires
Crumb rubber: 720,000 tires
Landfill "leachate" filter material: 700,000 tires
Misc. whole/cut tire use: 70,000 tires
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GENERAL U.S. MARKETS FOR RECYCLED WASTE TIRES
Scrap Tire Markets:
While over 77.6 percent of all waste tires generated annually in the United States are recovered
for recycling, markets for products derived from waste tires are very defined, and can be
summarized within a few key categories.
Tire-derived fuel (TDF) is the largest percentage market for waste tires. Over 40 percent of
all waste tires recovered in the United States are converted to TDF. TDF is a low-sulfur,
high-heating-value fuel.
Using tires in civil engineering applications, such as using shredded tires for roadbed material,
road embankment fill and as filtration material for landfill leachate collection system construction,
is the next largest domestic market and is rapidly growing.
Tires that are ground into smaller pieces (usually 3/8 of an inch or less - and free of steel and fiber)
can be used for playground surfacing materials, athletic and equestrian track surfaces, and as soil and
turf modifiers.If processed further, finely ground "crumb rubber" can be produced and used in belts,
hoses and rubberized mats. Crumb rubber materials can also be incorporated into rubber-modified asphalt,
sealant compounds and in small percentages, back into new tires.
It should be noted, however, that waste tire markets generally have a low to negative value. As an example,
prices for TDF are generally linked to the price of coal, and prices for crumb rubber products must often
compete with other virgin, natural and synthetic rubber compounds. Prices paid per ton or cubic yard for
shredded tire materials to be used in civil engineering applications must also compete with prices for
aggregate materials such as sand, gravel and soil.
In most cases, such competition in pricing between tire-derived products and other materials requires waste
tire recyclers and processors to charge a "tipping fee" to waste tire generators, in order to ensure that all
costs for recycling waste tires are accounted for.
Waste Tire Solid Waste Facts:
Waste Tire Generation
- Iowans generate 3 million waste tires annually
- Over 270 million waste tires are annually generated in the United States
- One scrap tire is generated per person, per year
- Annual waste tire generation composes 1.8 percent of municipal solid waste (MSW) by weight
Recycled
- 77.6 percent of waste tires generated annually in the United States are recovered and recycled
- Approximately 40 percent of these recovered tires are converted to tire-derived fuel (TDF), and consumed
by power plants, industrial boilers and cement kilns as a fuel supplement
- Other markets include civil engineering applications for shredded tires, crumb rubber producers and
beneficial reuses of whole waste tires
- The major market in Iowa for recovered waste tires is TDF
Recycled Content
- Retreaded tires contain 75 percent recycled content
- New tires contain no more than 2 percent recycled rubber
Types of Tires
- Passenger Car Tires - comprise 80 percent of annual waste tire generation. The average passenger
car tire weighs 20 pounds
- Light truck tires, with a rim diameter of 17 inches or less, weigh approximately 35 pounds
- Large truck (semi-truck) tires weigh up to 105 pounds
- Off-the-road (OTR) tires - various types and weights, including tires for construction,
agricultural, and large recreational vehicles and equipment
DNR Contact
Jennifer Reutzel
(515)281-8672
Jennifer.Reutzel@dnr.iowa.gov
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