A multidisciplinary study being carried out by the University at Buffalo RENEW Institute is helping address tyre wastes issues by improving tyre recycling. The work is funded by a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) grant worth a quarter-million dollars. The partnership builds upon the state’s 2003 Waste Tyre Management and Recycling Act, which mandated market development for waste tyres, prohibited land burial of these tyres, and instituted a recycling fee on each new tyre sold in the state to fund the cleanup of noncompliant tire waste stockpiles, among other activities.
New York residents and businesses generate up to 20 million waste tyres/ year and to achieve the state’s environmental sustainability goals productive reuses of the materials are needed, according to DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos.
DEC and UB will explore different options for the beneficial use of whole tires and tire byproducts other than refurbishing these tires for reuse on vehicles or use as fuel to be burned in power plants, paper mills, and other facilities. UB will inventory and evaluate existing data; assess the current supply and demand for various forms of tyre rubber in New York and across the US; and evaluate methods to improve waste tire recycling infrastructure and the marketability of secondary tire-based materials and products.
In addition, UB will evaluate policy options that may be appropriate to promote waste tire rubber marketability and develop recycling markets for waste tyres in New York. This project is funded by the state’s Waste Management and Cleanup Account, which is supported by the state’s tyre recycling fee.