18 March 2022 is Global Recycling Day: World Recycling Day is a reminder of how important the recycling of raw materials is for environmental protection. Recycling is also one of the most important recovery processes for used tyres today. The NEW LIFE initiative explains how the recycling of tyres works and how sustainable the method is.
In times of climate change, sustainable action is becoming increasingly important - also when it comes to disposing of used tyres. Around 600,000 tonnes of used tyres are generated in Germany every year. While in recent decades, discarded tyres were mainly sent for thermal recycling and incinerated in cement works, material recycling is becoming increasingly popular today: Tyres are shredded and processed into rubber granulate, rubber powder or rubber flour. In turn, recycled granulate, powder or flour can be used to produce many different new valuable products. These include, for example, floor coverings for playgrounds and sports fields, fall protection surfaces, artificial turf, anti-slip mats, noise barriers, path edgings, playground accessories, stable mats, lamps and vases. Asphalt modified with rubber is more robust and improves the performance of roads. What all products made from recycled end-of-life tyres (ELT) have in common is that they can be used for a long time, are environmentally friendly and can also be recycled after their second use.
Material recycling - from waste to raw material
Tyres are made of rubber, textile, steel and many other substances that can be returned to the material cycle at the end of the tyre's service life. The recycling of used tyres is complex, as the industry has high requirements for recycled rubber. Used tyres are separated from foreign materials in shredder and granulate plants and shredded in several stages. Pre-shredding to 50 to 150 mm takes place in the rotor shears or in the twin-shaft shredder, followed by pulping and post-shredding of the tyre shreds in the granulator. The material is broken down into its individual parts by cutting, tearing and crushing. Here, metals are sorted out using a magnet and textile fibres are blown out - valuable secondary raw materials that are also recycled. In the subsequent fine grinding process, the rubber granulate is ground to the desired size. Depending on the desired fineness and the area of application, manufacturers use hot or cold grinding processes for comminution, which produce rubber flour with different properties. In ambient grinding (hot grinding), the rubber is ground to the desired size at room temperature. In cryogenic grinding (cold grinding), the rubber granulate is cooled down to -100 °C using nitrogen. The material becomes brittle and a fine rubber powder is formed during grinding. Rubber flours from cold and hot grinding have specific surfaces and particle sizes that are suitable for different applications. By recycling used tyres, rubber granulate and rubber powder are used to create sustainable basic products that can be used to manufacture many new products.
Strengthening the circular economy
The use of rubber granulate and rubber powder made from recycled ELT material is a major and important contribution to the circular economy, as the valuable components of used tyres are returned to the material cycle and reused. This is an important contribution to the conservation of resources, as existing raw materials are utilised for as long as possible, efficiently and sensibly. Waste is also avoided: The discarded tyres do not end up as waste, but are reprocessed. Tyre recycling creates a closed cycle that is environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Products made from used tyres, such as floor coverings, have many positive properties: Flooring made from recycled rubber is particularly elastic, robust and durable. They are easy on the joints and protect against injuries. They can be used in schools, kindergartens, clinics, retirement homes and other facilities. Wall and floor systems made from the raw material ELT have also proven their worth in animal husbandry. Today, there is an increasingly diverse range of technologies and product applications - the areas of use for products made from old tyres are almost endless.
Whether private individuals, companies or local authorities - everyone can do something for the environment, dispose of used tyres properly and use products made from old tyres. This is because recycled products made from ELT material provide real added value for people and the environment. The NEW LIFE initiative provides information about the many benefits and possible applications on its website: Â initiative-new-life.de