AJAX, Ontario.—Tire recycler Environmental Waste International claims its reverse polymerization process reduces carbon emissions considerably compared with either incineration or crumb rubber production, based on the results of a study it commissioned.
The study was prepared for EWS by Pinchin Environmental, a Mississauga, Ontario-based environmental consultancy firm. According to that study, EWS' reverse polymerization produces 12,166 fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents annually than incineration, and 3,236 fewer metric tons than crumb rubber production.
Publicity on the study did not specify whether "incineration" meant simple tire burning or use as tire-derived fuel.
Based in Ajax, EWS describes itself on its website as a design and development company specializing in eco-friendly systems for the breakdown of organic materials.
EWS' reverse polymerization process involves the direct application of high-energy microwaves to scrap tires and other organic waste, according to the company.
The microwaves break down the waste at temperatures of 150 to 350 degrees Celsius, depending on the application, EWS said. The atmosphere during the process is nitrogen-rich and oxygen-depleted, eliminating any chance of oxidation, it said.
In November, EWS completed a successful four-day run of reverse polymerization at its pilot tire recycling facility at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Construction of a commercial plant is the next step, the company said, although it did not give a timetable.