Tires are crucial to the world’s mobility and our way of life, and sustainability and environmental protection are critical to the tire industry. The industry continues to decrease environmental impact of rubber production and tire manufacturing and it is taking on additional challenges in the areas of environmental impact of tires on the road, and end-of-life (ELT) tires.
In Canada, the 1990 tire fire in Hagersville, Ont., brought tire recycling into spotlight, and scrap tire management and tire recycling industries had been focused on environmentally sound scrap tire management ever since. Canadian tire producers, provincial recycling programs, and tire recycling industry achieved more than 100% recycling rates, and all tires in Canada are being responsibly disposed and turned into value-added products.
These particles are created by friction between tire and the road. They are a blend of tire polymers and road construction materials that enter environment, soils around the roadways, and can be carried by rain into natural water systems. Together with microplastics, TRWP have come under scrutiny as a global environmental concern and their environmental impact is being intensively researched.
The Association collaborates with the scientific community and global industry partners on understanding and addressing the issue of TRWP, and actively follows Canadian, North American, and global scientific studies and regulatory initiatives regarding TRWP.