Tire recycling or traditional landfill: environmental risks and benefits
The rapid increase in the number of cars worldwide leads to the accumulation of a huge volume of worn-out tires. This creates the problem of their proper disposal. In accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine, in particular the Law of Ukraine "On Waste Management", worn tires are classified as hazardous waste, so they are prohibited from being taken to municipal landfills. That is why other approaches are used: tire recycling or traditional landfilling. Each of these methods has its own advantages and environmental risks, which must definitely be taken into account.
How traditional tire landfilling is carried out
This concept implies the placement of worn tires in landfills or burying them in the ground.
How tires end up in landfills
Old tires end up in landfills as a result of illegal dumping. Why can't you throw tires in the garbage? It's simple. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, temperature, and precipitation, they gradually break down, releasing resins, phenols, and other harmful substances that pollute the soil and seep into groundwater. At the same time, the decomposition process takes 150–200 years.
Main environmental risks of landfilling
Burying waste in the ground poses a threat to the local ecosystem. Under the influence of oxygen and groundwater, a slow chemical reaction occurs in the soil, resulting in the destruction of the material.
The main dangers of landfilling include:
High fire hazard when heated.
Environmental pollution.
Sanitary risks. Accumulations of tires retain rainwater, creating an environment for the breeding of rodents and dangerous insects.
Tire landfilling contradicts modern environmental standards, which is why the issue of their recycling becomes especially relevant.
Tire recycling — an effective solution to the disposal problem
Can car tires be recycled? Yes, and with benefit, since modern recycling methods allow obtaining secondary raw materials from worn tires.
Main recycling technologies
To understand how old tires are recycled in modern industry, let's consider the main methods:
Mechanical crushing.
Tire pyrolysis. This is the decomposition of worn tires under the influence of high temperatures. The process takes place in closed retorts without access to oxygen, which eliminates combustion and harmful emissions.
Barodestruction. Tires are subjected to high pressure and very low temperatures, which destroys the material, and the rubber crumbles into fine particles.
Devulcanization. This is a method of breaking sulfur bonds in the material.
The last two methods are less common because they require significant equipment costs.
What materials are obtained from recycled tires
The products of tire recycling vary depending on the disposal method. Mechanical crushing and barodestruction produce rubber crumb, which is used to manufacture safe coatings for children's and sports playgrounds, and is also included in the composition of modifiers for asphalt.
During thermal pyrolysis, liquid synthetic fuel (an analog of fuel oil), high-carbon technical carbon, and combustible gas are produced, which provides energy autonomy for the recycling plant itself. During devulcanization, the rubber becomes plastic, allowing it to be reused for the production of rubber technical products.
Comparison of tire recycling and landfilling
When choosing a disposal method, three main factors are taken into account: environmental impact, costs, and possible consequences.
Environmental impact
If we compare the environmental footprint, controlled recycling has more advantages. Mechanical recycling practically eliminates greenhouse gas emissions, while landfills and accidental fires at tire burial sites lead to the formation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and soot. At the same time, recycling requires costs for purchasing equipment and organizing the production process.
Economic efficiency
Landfilling is a rather unprofitable measure, as it requires costs for maintaining landfills, their security, and subsequent expensive land reclamation. Recycling, on the other hand, transforms waste into recycled tire products that can be reused.
Long-term consequences for society
Tire recycling at enterprises is a prospect for environmental safety for future generations. In addition, unlike landfilling, this approach allows saving hectares of land and using them for economic activities.
International experience in managing end-of-life tires
In the USA, European countries, and Japan, the problem of tire disposal has long been solved at the legislative level. In the EU, the landfilling of both whole and shredded tires is completely banned. The "producer responsibility" system is in effect, which obliges companies to recycle the same amount of tires that they have released onto the domestic market. Thanks to this approach, in Germany, France, and the Scandinavian countries, the level of recycling and energy recovery of worn rubber reaches almost 95–100%.
Ukraine is also actively implementing these principles, which stimulates businesses to switch to environmental standards and abandon landfills.
Why the future belongs to waste recycling
The sustainable development of technological methods for rubber recycling solves several tasks at once:
stimulates the circular economy, where the waste of one production becomes a resource for another;
reduces the chemical industry's dependence on primary petroleum products;
reduces greenhouse gas emissions, thereby slowing the pace of global warming.
In conclusion, it should be noted that burying tires in the ground is an unprofitable and dangerous method of disposal for both people and the environment. The future belongs to modern technologies — recycling, which is environmentally safe and economically viable.
