GreenYour.com

Over 230 million replacement automobile and light truck tires are purchased in the United States each year, and each passenger automobile tire contains an average of 2.5 gallons of petroleum.[1] In other words, about 1.6 million gallons of petroleum are used to manufacture tires for US consumption each day. The US consumed nearly 874 million gallons of petroleum each day in 2005 (385 million gallons of which were consumed as gasoline, or 44 percent of total consumption),[2] and currently imports nearly 66 million gallons of petroleum from Saudi Arabia each day.[3]

There are also at least 275 million used tires being stored as waste in the United States,[4] which pose substantial environmental challenges due to the risk of fire and possible leaching of chemicals into the soil. Although major tire fires occur infrequently, the environmental impact can be massive. For example, a 7-million tire fire in Rhinehart, VA in 1983 burned for nine months, created a plume of smoke 3,000 feet high and nearly 50 miles long, deposited emissions in three states, and contaminated nearby water sources with lead and arsenic.[5] Used tires are also a breeding ground for mosquitoes because of the stagnant water that collects in them.[6]

Approximately 290 million scrap tires were generated in 2003.[4] There are markets for about 80 percent of the scrap tires generated annually. Scrap tires are used as fuel (approximately 45 percent of the waste tire market), and can be recycled into a variety of other products. Approximately 20 percent of the waste tire market is recycled or used in civil engineering projects, 12 percent are ground up and used in asphalt for roads and tracks, and about 3 percent of the tires are exported.[6] 27 million tires end up in landfills or monofills each year, and the remainder are stockpiled pending future use or disposal.[6]

Related health issues

There are numerous possible health issues related to the manufacturing and disposal of motor vehicle tires. During the manufacturing process, toxic chemicals such as hexane, toluene, formaldehyde, styrene, and volatile organic compounds are released into the air, and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated strict regulations regarding their emissions.[7]

Tire fires can release significant amounts of air pollution, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene, styrene, phenols, and butadiene.[5] Oil and heavy metals may exude into the local soil and surface water during a tire fire, which can trigger Superfund cleanup status.[5]

Pests such as rodents and mosquitoes may live and breed in scrap tire piles. Several varieties of mosquitoes can carry deadly diseases, including West Nile Virus, encephalitis, and dengue fever.[8]

External links

• Green Car Congress
• US Environmental Protection Agency - Management of Scrap Tires
• Green Diamond Tires
• Retread Tire Buyers Guide
• Rubber Manufacturers Association