“Many people aren’t aware of the widespread environmental thinking and practices in auto repair shops in the areas of recycling, disposal and facilities management,” says Rich White, executive director of the AAIA’s Car Care Council.
“Shops have practiced sustainability for decades, and as a result, they have made huge contributions to a cleaner environment,” he adds.
More than 300 million tires are scrapped annually, or about one tire per person in the U.S.
Some 89 percent (by weight) of these scrap tires are put to new productive uses, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMI). Products made from the rubber in old tires include mulch, playground material, asphalt, horse arena footing and turf for the athletic industry.
The recycling efforts of auto repair shops help keep tires out of landfills – where they can cause toxic runoff that can contaminate the soil and watershed – and out of tire stockpiles that can create fires, causing land and air pollution and contaminating surface and ground water sources, says White.Stockpiles also are a breeding ground for mosquitoes and rodents that can carry deadly diseases and pose a threat to human health.
The AAIA has prepared videos and other information regarding the benefits of tire recycling and other “green” auto-oriented procedures.
For more information, visit www.aftermarket.org and www.carcare.org.
