According to a study by the Automotive Aftermarket
Industry Association (AAIA), 88 percent of auto service
centers report that they are recycling cast-off
tires.
“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.
