2019 Recycling Industry Yearbook

ISRI.ORG 47 THE TIRE RECYCLING PROCESS Here’s how tires get recycled into road surfaces. Sources: John Dunham & Associates, EPA Manufacturers turn the tire rubber into road insulation, crash barriers, and rubberized asphalt that is used to make highways safer and quieter. START Old worn out tires when recycled can be made into a multitude of new products, including asphalt to pave highways. When a tire is no longer safe for the road it is taken to a tire recycling facility. There, a recycler determines if it will be refurbished or scrapped. Through shredding and grinding, scrap tires are ground into palm-sized pieces and the steel is removed. The ground rubber is sold to manufacturers. Refurbished tires are resold to consumers. Tires