US tire makers urge moves to up recycling rates

Washington – The US Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) has called for new initiatives and investment in tire recycling programmes, as the waste tire recovery rate dropped to 71% in the country last year.

The figure compares to a 76% recovery rate reported in 2019 and 96% reported in 2013, said the association’s ‘2021 scrap tire management report’, published earlier in the month.

USTMA linked the drop to a 13% increase in waste tire generation, while industries that consume scrap tires grew by 6%.

“We see scrap tire recycling as a key part of our role in supporting a sustainable circular economy,” said Anne Forristall Luke, president and CEO of USTMA.

The trade group, she went on to say, is focused on expanding opportunities to grow scrap tire markets that offer sustainable infrastructure solutions.

As part of the effort, USTMA is working with congressional representatives to promote the use of scrap tires in rubberised asphalt and civil engineering projects.

Noting that the management of end-of-life tires was primarily the responsibility of state governments, USTMA called for “robust programmes” to generate revenue and to fund research.

The USTMA also said that it was working with stakeholders to encourage the growth of circular, sustainable scrap tire markets.

In 2021, for instance, the association collaborated on a number of research projects with NGOs as well as industry and academic partners to study sustainable transportaion.

The association is planning its ninth scrap tire conference in 2024 to further expand collaborative networks and partnerships.