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A new US research on synthetic turf fields that contain tire-derived crumb rubber has found that the material posed no risk to human health. The investigation commenced in 2016 and was run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The two authoritative bodies worked in association with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Even though earlier media reports stated that the EU was about to introduce a legislation prohibiting the use of artificial turf on playing surfaces, The European Commission stated that the information was misleading. The authoritative body added that it was only focusing its work on health risks posed by some microplastics and looking into developing its sustainable substitutes.

U.S. state of Kentucky has been handling scrap tires by establishing the Waste Tire Trust Fund that gets its money from $2 fees imposed on each new tire when it is purchased. Thanks to the fund, the state manages five million of waste tires each year sending them to Champlin Tire Recycling in Kansas where the waste is transformed into valuable ADA-accessible products. They are later applied in playgrounds and trails construction, as well as in landscaping projects.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is providing funds to organize waste tire drop-off events in over 60 communities across the state that would take place both in urban and rural areas. These events are expected to help locals recycle their scrap tires in an affordable and easy way. It will be possible to create tire collection sites operating for a year and roadside pickups.

Equine Air, a product developed after Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) teamed up with Flexiroc, was used for a trial on 550 square meters of Pakenham Racing Club Tynong race track in 2018. The findings of the experiment with the trail were positive, and the riders admitted the benefits of the new surfacing. To manufacture the product, developers used more than 3,000 tires – this equals 27 tons of recycled rubber. It has an innovative design enabling the product to be used for difficult ground conditions. Moreover, it helps the surface to drain quickly following rain.

Australian city Fremantle has become a pioneer that applied recycled rubber from scrap tires to develop footpath; and the city is not planning to stop and will keep on practicing the method in similar projects. The new footpath at the Thompson Road is similar in its content to a playground for kids (molded tiles and surfaces from crumb rubber). Moreover, it doesn’t restrict planting of trees along it.

When we talk about products derived from tire recycling, we often imply crumb rubber or fine rubber powder. The former is the most common material, while the latter – one of the most expensive products of tire recycling. Yet there is another alternative, cheaper in value, but having promising market opportunities – tire-derived rubber mulch. Rubber mulch from scrap tires is produced in the initial stages of recycling process when input material is shredded several times and separated from steel wires. This yields a thin product of homogenous size, approximately 50 mm long which can be vastly used in landscaping. Below, we describe several ways of how tire-derived rubber mulch can be used.

Qatar is now attempting to advance the reuse of scrap tire rubber in order to stop tire incineration – when scrap tires are burnt and not recycled, they generate CO2 emissions. Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) represented by the state program Tarsheed is behind the new sustainable effort. Kahramaa’s aim is to cut CO2 emission by 7 percent in 3 years. To attain this objective, the organization will encourage the locals to start actively reusing tires in decorative art works and installations and in sports.

During the last eight month, waste management centre Tadweer based in Abu Dhabi has processed almost 7,000 tons of scrap tires at its Gulf Rubber Factory; thus, it constitutes the daily recycling rate of 28 tons of tires. The move to establish the plant was made by Tadweer with an aim to process various waste, which could be further used as raw materials. According the company’s head Salem Al Kaabi, the recycling at the factory is conducted in accordance with the top global standards. The Middle-Eastern factory, equipped with tire recycling systems from Europe capable of manufacturing crumb rubber granules of various shapes, was launched 7 years ago. The process is sustainable and environment-friendly.