A tire company from Costa Rica, Multiservicios Ecológicos, has commissioned its first tire recycling plant in Central America after the National Recycling Strategy started to classify scrap tires as a waste that requires special management due to their harmful nature to human health and environment.

The plant will rely on technology original for the province, which is operated via computer controlling the process and reducing the possibility of malfunction. Commenting on the company’s decision to launch the plant, Gustavo Quirós, general manager of Ecological Multiservices said that his firm acknowledged the demand that existed in the industry, therefore, the step to construct the facility was taken.

The new facility will be able to recycle as much as 10 tons of waste tires, or 210 light vehicle tires on an hourly rate. The functioning will be possible thanks to an up-to-date US made electrical system worth over 2 million Costa Rican colons (around 3,300 USD) which does not consume fuel to operate.

The plant is expected to produce materials that will be used in road development and surfacing projects. In addition, it will be used for patios and gardens. Furthermore, the materials can be transformed into energy source, asphalt, playground mats, flooring, molded products and more.

This comes after the Ministry of Health released its findings that only 15 percent of all imported tires are properly handled each year after they reach the end-of-life phase. The data was alarming as outdoors tires could lead to increased cases of diseases, including dengue fever, disseminated by mosquitos who often breed inside dumped tires. Therefore, the company vowed to take all necessary preventive measures.

Ecological Multiservices also expressed its wish to raise awareness of the problems and risks imposed by old tires. Gustavo Quirós stressed that the company sought to teach and demonstrate the public that scrap tires should not be treated like waste as it could be of value. He also emphasized that this approach was common in the developed states, and he wanted Costa Rica to adopt the same perspective.

Ecological Multiservices was launched in 2001 with its founding fathers aiming to transform high-risk waste into used oil. However, later, it was reshaped to tackle much bigger amounts of waste. At present, the firm is willing to establish tire recycling plants also outside of Costa Rica. Article by Central da Pauta

Article by Central de Pauta.