Bicycle Tire Recycling

[Ramon]

Hello all,

In California, automobile tires must be recycled in one of a variety of ways to minimize the effects of the toxic decomposition of rubber in landfills, reduce the risk of tire fires, and give mosquitoes fewer puddles in which to propagate. The State facilitates tire recycling by licensing tire haulers as intermediaries for tire collection and shredding. The resulting mulch is used in asphalt mixes, Astroturf and other paddings, etc.

I've spoken with tire haulers who have refused to take bicycle tires without serious fees (~$4/tire) and I've learned that they don't want to take them because there's so little rubber per the total mass of the tire.

In speaking with CalRecycle, I've found that the law that established the tire hauling and tire recycling business, only "vehicle" tires are required to be collected and re-purposed.

On the other side, waste management companies throughout California refuse to allow tires of any sort within their landfills.

Thus, many bike shops are stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to disposing of tubes and tires. We want to do the best thing possible (recycle), but since it's not required of tire haulers to take bicycle tires, haulers won't take the tires without major payoff. So what do we do with these tires and tubes? Find an unscrupulous landfill who will take them?

I contacted a guy in charge of British Columbia's tire recycling efforts and he said that they took in 10 metric tons of bike tires and tubes last year for shredding into the same tire mulch that automobiles tires goes into. He couldn't tell me what the blend tolerance is, though. Or, in other words, given the lower rubber content of bike tires, what portion of a mulch blend can come from bike tires without degrading the mulch past utility.

I/we need that information. With the ears of a couple local organizations and legislators, we may be able to change California law so that tire haulers have to accept bicycle tires and tubes, but we need to be able to answer this and similar questions from day one.

So... who do you know in the rubber industry? =)

Ramon

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Ramon Zavala
Zav...@gmail.com

[Kevin Wood]

My first question would be what are shops doing with all the tubes and tires now?

Just tossing them into a landfill? It is much easier to put a bike tire in you kitchen garbage can than a car one

I seem to remember B&L having a bin you could leave your old tires and tubes in for "recycling"

I can see that companies who reclyce car tires would not want to deal with bicyle tires as they are very different than the steel-belted radials my hatchback rides on.

I have used some old tubes as tie down straps/bungies. People also have various craft projects.
http://www.instructables.com/id/bike-innertube-wallet/

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[Robert Leone]

Dear Ramon:

I've heard Performance Bikes recycles their expended rubber -- maybe through Green Guru, though.

Robert Leone

[Ramon]

The shop owners to whom I've been able to speak candidly say they have to shop around for the right waste group that will overlook the tires. These unofficial agreements change all the time, though.

--
Ramon Zavala
Zav...@gmail.com

[Bill Davidson]

B+L near the sports arena used to have a barrel for recycling but I've heard that they closed that store.

I don't know if their other store in Solana Beach does it.

I've heard that some REI's do it but I'm not sure if the one near 52 does it.

Bicycling Street Smarts
http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm
California Vehicle Code 21202
http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21202.htm
California Vehicle Code 21750
http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21750.htm

[James Harrell]

My name is James Harrell. I am the Store Manager at the Performance Bike in Kearny Mesa. We recycle tires through Liberty Tire Recycling. They used to send call tags when we had a box, but discontinued this practice a couple of years ago. We ship them now at our expense to keep them out of landfills. The link to make arrangements is:

http://www.libertytire.com/TireCollection/CollectionServices.aspx

Also, Alchemy Goods in Seattle will take tubes (except thorn resistant and goo filled) to upcycle into bags and wallets.

Hope this helps.