Disposal of used Car Tyres
At SYC we have approximately 400 end-of-life tyres supporting our watercraft in one way or another. The advantage has been that they are normally free to anyone who wants them. The problem is disposing of the tyres after this usage. It is a costly process, especially for perished tyres, as their composite materials do not easily lend themselves to shredding or chipping. 400 tyres will weigh about 3200 kg and that does not include the stagnant rainwater contained in their hollow interiors.
End-of-life car tyres can be recycled into many products.
The process involves shredding the tyre to separate the rubber from the metal content, which is re-smelted, then processing the rubber into a crumb or chips. Current usage includes:
- Inclusion in asphalt to decrease vehicle noise, and in railway sleepers for the same purpose.
- Creating soft surfaces for playgrounds and equestrian areas.
- As a fuel for industrial products, notably in cement kilns.
The General Committee has decided it is time to rid the site of vehicle tyres in a huge clearance project involving approximately 2 tonnes of scrap metal from discarded trolleys and trailers and 1 tonne of discarded items “parked” behind sheds, racks and hedges over decades.