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Waste Policy Forum
Scrap Tires
Frequent Questions
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Answers to commonly asked questions about scrap tires are provided below.
- How many scrap tires are there in the U.S.-Mexico border region?
- Where are the border's scrap tire piles located?
- Is there a risk to human health from tire piles?
- What drives the border's scrap tire problem?
- How is the Border 2012 Program addressing the scrap tire problem?
- How many of the border's scrap tires have been cleaned-up?
- What happens to the scrap tires when they are removed?
- What are the U.S. laws on tires?
- What are the Mexico laws on tires?
- What is the current status of tire recycling and disposal in the U.S. as a whole?
- What is the current status of tire recycling and disposal in Mexico as a whole?
- What are the benefits of incinerating scrap tires for energy recovery?
- What products are made from tires?
- What can you tell me about pyrolysis?
- I want to start a company to recycle or dispose of scrap tires. How do I get into the tire/ rubber recycling business?
- How much do tires cost in the border region?
- Where can I get more information?
- Workgroup Contacts
How many scrap tires are there in the U.S.-Mexico border region?
There are 46 known tire piles in the U.S.-Mexico border region (defined as 100 km on each side of the 2,000 miles long border), according to the Border 2012: U.S.-Mexico Border Scrap Tire Inventory Summary Report (May 2007). In 2008, the largest tire pile was located near Ciudad Juárez with over four million tires.
Where are the border's scrap tire piles located?
Throughout the entire border region, scrap tires are stockpiled at municipal solid waste landfills; small businesses and other privately or publicly owned properties.
For charts that summarize the border's scrap tire pile sites, see the Location of Border Scrap Tire Piles page.
Is there a risk to human health from tire piles?
Tire piles can pose a real public health concern for local populations. Tire piles provide safe havens for disease carrying pests creating an ideal breeding ground for rodents and mosquitoes. Tire piles are also creating unnecessary risk as a fire hazard. Toxic gases emitted from tire fires pose real health concerns for those exposed.
What drives the border's scrap tire problem?
The scrap tire problem is fueled by the current economic situation in the U.S.- Mexico border region. The Northern Mexican border imports millions of used tires from the U.S. for reuse. Due to their lower cost, approximately half of all tire purchases in Mexican border cities are used tires from the U.S. Because they are used tires with generally 10,000-20,000 miles of use, they have a shorter shelf life than new tires. Mexican law permits one million used tires to be imported across the border each year, which are reserved for the ports of entry in the states of Baja California (Tijuana and Mexicali) and Chihuahua (Ciudad Juárez). However, it is suspected that another million more may enter Mexico without proper authorization each year. SEMARNAT estimates that in 2003 only 9% of scrap tires imported into Mexico were reused or disposed of properly.¹
How is the Border 2012 Program addressing the scrap tire problem?
Through Border 2012, EPA and SEMARNAT, are working together to clean the border's scrap tire piles; finding efficient and environmentally sound options for using them. Through Border 2012, EPA and SEMARNAT promote partnerships with industry, academia, and local and state governments as they clean up tire piles (over 4 million scrap tires were eliminated from 2003 to 2009) and take steps to prevent further tire piles. Such steps include developing a scrap tire management framework, a scrap tire resource guide, a border-wide inventory of tire piles, a compendium of border scrap tire projects, and an supporting an ongoing multi-stakeholder group that meets annually to collaborate in finding solutions.
How many of the border's scrap tires have been cleaned-up?
The Border 2012 Program removed roughly 4 million tires throughout the border region from 2003-2008.
What happens to the scrap tires when they are removed?
The majority of these tires were used as fuel in cement kilns as tire derived fuel (TDF). Other tires were used in pilot road paving projects and other innovative, experimental re-use projects.
What are the U.S. laws on tires?
Scrap tires are managed primarily at the state level in the U.S. About 48 states have laws or regulations specifically dealing with the management of scrap tires. While each state has its own program, some typical features include:
- Funding via taxes or fees on automobiles or tires;
- Market development activities;
- Licensing or registration requirements for scrap tire haulers, processors and some end users;
- Manifests for scrap tire shipments;
- Requirements regarding who may handle scrap tires;
- Financial assurance requirements for scrap tire handlers, storage facilities, and disposers; and
- Tire pile clean-up.
What are the Mexico laws on tires?
In Mexico, scrap tires are governed under the 2004 "General Law for the Prevention and Integral Management of Waste." Under this law, every major generator of waste, including municipalities and industrial facilities, are required to develop integrated waste management plans. Scrap tires are "special management waste" under this law, and, therefore, require an integrated waste management plan.
What is the current status of tire recycling and disposal in the U.S. as a whole?
| 2003 Statistics, Rubber Manufacturers Association | |
|---|---|
| Number of scrap tires generated annually: | 290 million |
| Percentage of total solid waste generated: | 2.0 percent |
| Number of scrap tires going to a market: | 233 million |
| Number of scrap tires used for fuel: | 130 million |
| Number of scrap tires used in civil engineering projects: | 56 million |
| Number of scrap tires used in ground rubber applications: | 28 million |
| Number of scrap tires punched/stamped into new products: | 7 million |
| Number of tires exported: | 9 million |
| Number of tires in stockpiles: | 265 million |
More information on the current status of scrap tire management and recycling in the US
What is the current status of tire recycling and disposal in the Mexico as a whole?
Although the majority of scrap tires in Mexico that are processed or recycled are used as TDF, Mexicans also use tires in a variety of civil engineering applications. There is a ground rubber facility in Ciudad Juárez; cement kilns in Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua and Monterrey; and a crumb rubber paving pilot project in Ciudad Juárez.
What are the benefits of incinerating scrap tires for energy recovery?
Incinerating tires for energy recovery utilizes scrap tires that might otherwise be landfilled, produces energy, and saves money as other fuels are replaced partially by scrap tires.
Tires produce the same amount of energy as oil and 25% more energy than coal. The oil equivalency of a passenger tire is 7 gallons and the heat content of shredded tires is 10 to 16% higher than that of coal. Tires have a high heating value -each pound of scrap tire rubber is equivalent to 15,000 BTUs of energy.
Learn more about tire derived fuel (TDF).
What products are made from tires?
Magic Johnson Park, Los Angeles, California. Poured in-place rubber made from recycled scrap tires.
Numerous products can be made with scrap tires. Scrap tires may be cut, punched, and stamped into various rubber products after removal of the steel bead. Products include floor mats, belts, gaskets, shoe soles, dock bumpers, seals, muffler hangers, shims, and washers.
Whole tires also have uses as highway crash barriers and for boat bumpers on marine docks.
Shredded tires may be used in many different types of applications.
The 3 primary scrap tire markets are:
Learn more about innovative uses for scrap tires.
What can you tell me about pyrolysis?
Pyrolysis is a process in which tires can be subjected to high heat, under controlled conditions, resulting in steel, oil, and carbon black. Although it has been shown repeatedly to be scientifically possible, and economically practical it has not proven to be a viable process. High capital investment and operating costs typically inhibit tire pyrolysis from being made commercially available.
I want to start a company to recycle or dispose of scrap tires. How do I get into the tire/rubber recycling business?
- Investigate your specific situation -local markets, local regulations, competition.
- Develop a business plan -be specific about details -match your plan against regulatory requirements, industry standards, and market conditions.
- Communicate with state and local regulatory agencies.
Contact your local small business assistance organization to help set up a business plan and learn about opportunities in your area.
View scrap tire business development resources.
How much do tires cost in the border region?
The costs and quality of new or used tires differ in the U.S. and Mexico. In both the U.S. and Mexico, new tires can cost approximately $100. In Mexico, tire consumers often turn to less expensive used tires, often imported from the U.S. These used tires have such a short tread life (10,000 to 20,000) miles which contributes to the large accumulation of scrap tires in the border region.
Where can I get more information?
For information on the U.S.- Mexico border's scrap tire problem, please contact Ellie Kanipe (kanipe.ellie@epa.gov). For U.S. specific tire questions, view EPA's Scrap Tire Frequent Questions webpage.
¹Referenced from Overview of Scrap Tire Disposal and Recycling Options, Border Environment Cooperation Commission and Houston Advanced Research Center, 2003
Contact the Workgroup Co-chairs