Rubber mulch offers second life to old tires
Posted by Jamie Kavanagh on
As a nation, we consume millions of tires per year. Almost all road going vehicles use rubber tires of one sort or another, providing an environmental headache once they are finished. Rubber mulch is helping to change that. Nobody is going to pretend that using rubber mulch on your garden is going to end pollution caused by old tires, but every little helps.
A few years ago, worn tires were either dumped whole into landfill or a select few used as fenders on tugboats. Many states have banned the dumping of tires into landfill, providing a challenge for authorities in how to dispose of this waste. Some burn them in furnaces to generate power, others shred them and use them as groundcover for the landfills in which they can be no longer used.
We use them as rubber mulch.
While we could never hope to use the estimated 290 million tires we use each year, we can at least make inroads into recycling as many of them as possible. Considering they offer real benefits for landscapes, play areas, equestrian areas and public places, we think demand will only grow.
How are tires turned into mulch?
Waste tires are collected by specialist companies to turn into rubber mulch. First the tires are cleaned up and then the metal bead is removed from the rim of the tire. This holds the tire in place on the wheel but is no longer required. That metal is also recycled wherever possible.
Next, the shredded tire goes through a series of powerful magnets to ensure as much metal as possible is removed before production. Next, another clean and then tires are separated into lots to be colored.
Colors are added to the tires in a range of tones to reflect different landscapes and tastes. Special color compounds are used that soak into the rubber and don't come out. Colors do not run from Dallas rubber mulches. In fact, we guarantee color fastness for a period of 12 years!
The washing process removes most odors and pollutants too. So once you have unpacked your mulch and left it on the ground for 48 hours, you will detect no odor at all.
A lot of work has gone into making rubber mulch a viable way of recycling old tires. Considering our hundreds of happy customers, we think it's working!