Did you know? Used rubber tyres were the 681st most traded product in the world in 2022 with a value of $2.96B. In context, you can see why: the Tire Industry Project says one billion end-of-life (ELT) tyres are generated globally each year. 

Tyres are designated a hazardous waste: ELTs are banned from landfills and are subject to strict storage requirements because they simply don’t break down organically. At the same time, tyres are made up of valuable and recoverable materials, including rubber, steel, and textiles. 

These two properties mean the UK and European governments are looking for new ways to ensure ELTs are recycled or reused. Thankfully, it’s not only easy to recycle tyres, but there can also be real business benefits to doing so. Plus, A tyre baler can make it easy to manage, store, and transport tyres, even in bulk.  

1. TYRE BALERS HELP CONVERT TYRES INTO EXTRA CASH

Did you know? The scrap tyre recycling industry pays businesses like yours for used tyres or ELTs. 

For tyre stores, car dismantlers, or even waste management companies, it can open up a new revenue stream while also reducing your general waste management costs. 

The rates depend on your location and the application involved. In the UK, you can earn as much as £1 in profit per tyre recycled and sent away through broker exports.  

Why do tyres earn money? 

Most often, ELTs can be sold because there’s value in incinerating them to generate power. Approximately 40% of ELTs in Europe are sent away for energy production to become tyre-derived fuel (TDF). This use case is continuing to grow: Wastefront AS intends to build a £100 million tyre recycling plant in the UK that will process 80,000 tonnes of tyres to produce low carbon fuels for both maritime and road transportation. 

Baled tyres can live a second, third, or even fourth life. Tyre materials can be used to create new products. For example, ground tyres turned into powder are the key component for equestrian rubber or astroturf. Tyres can even be used by civil engineers for road foundations, flood control along rivers and coasts, or lining for landfills. They’re ideal because they weigh less than conventional building materials, require no new fossil fuels to produce, and are perfect for wet locations. 

Wherever your ELTs end up, you’re making a contribution towards reusing the resources we have, creating a more sustainable industry for both businesses and consumers. 

2. LOWER YOUR WASTE STORAGE AND REMOVAL COSTS

If tyre disposal can generate a new income stream, then you want to keep every penny of it. However, tyres are bulky, heavy, and inflexible. Piling them up takes up valuable space on your premises, on transportation, and in recycling centres. 

Tyre recycling equipment such as a tyre baler can reduce the tyre size by 80%, which minimises both storage and transportation costs and maximises profit for all involved. That’s why many businesses find that a recycling baler can often pay for itself. 

Tyre balers mean you need less storage space and fewer vehicle movements, which benefits the entire chain. These benefits apply to your business. Plus, they also help your waste management partners by reducing vehicle movements as part of a pick-up service or storage or shipping containers when moving tyres to a central location. 

3. IMPROVE SITE & TRANSPORTATION SAFETY

While we’ve talked about how valuable tyre materials are, we haven’t addressed the safety issues posed by tyres. 

The disposal of tyres is carefully controlled, and the landfill ban is now two decades old. There are several reasons for this. First, ELTs simply don’t break down in normal conditions. However, there is a second environmental and safety issue: fire. 

Stockpiled tyres are a substantial fire risk. Tyre fires release toxic chemicals into the air and are very difficult to manage because they not only burn quickly but can also burn for years. In the past, response teams’ only option was to bury the burning tyres underground, which only compounds the horrifying environmental impact of tyres. 

Baled tyres are still a fire risk that requires management. However, there is evidence baled tyres are easier for fire crews to manage. A tyre bale burns more slowly due to the compaction and reduced oxygen.  

 Additionally, baled tyres are safer to manage, store, and transport because the risk of injury to workers is much lower. 

4. A TYRE BALER CAN HELP TO REDUCE SCOPE 1, 2, AND 3 EMISSIONS

A Tyre baler can not only help to minimise carbon emissions by requiring fewer collections (and so reducing vehicle movements), but they can also help to facilitate cleaner recycling practices within the organisation. Building out a recycling plan using a baler in the workplace can also help to encourage your staff to implement more efficient waste management practices on-premises and elsewhere. 

Is a tyre baler the right choice for your business? Trusted by top names like Builder Depot and CPL Industries, LSM has tyre balers for sale that can process 400-500 standard car or light commercial tyres per hour. Contact our team today to learn how an LSM Tyre Baler can become an integral part of your waste management strategy or check out the machine here.