Liberty, Bridgestone to present recycling event in Florida

CLEARWATER, Fla.—Bridgestone Americas and Liberty Tire Recycling L.L.C. will highlight the benefits of rubberized asphalt on April 30 with “Recycle Florida: 2014.”

The event, to be held at the facility of Tires Plus, a Bridgestone subsidiary in Clearwater, will gather transportation and environmental professionals, civic leaders and policymakers to learn about scrap tire management in Florida and rubberized asphalt materials and applications. Speakers include experts from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Department of Transportation, as well as Bridgestone Americas, South Florida Materials, Asphalt+ and Liberty Tire Recycling.

“Rubberized asphalt presents Florida and states across the country with an opportunity to build longer-lasting, less expensive roadways by utilizing recycled tire rubber that can otherwise litter the landscape in the form of illegal tire dumps,” said Jeffrey Kendall, Liberty Tire CEO. “After decades of research and development, rubberized asphalt has come a long way to improve highway infrastructure through sustainable sourcing.”

Sessions at Recycle Florida will consist of presentations on topics including “Tire Processing in Florida,” “Florida DOT New Specifications” and “Rubberized Asphalt Materials and Construction,” which will provide an overview of the advantages of rubberized asphalt, from enhanced safety and reduced tire noise to better crack resistance and cost savings.

Tim Bent, director of environmental affairs for Bridgestone Americas, said the Nashville, Tenn.-based tire maker “works to ensure that for every new tire we sell in the U.S., another tire that has been removed from use is sent to a valuable purpose. Rubberized asphalt has enormous potential for utilizing a large number of the tires discarded each year for an incredibly important product—lower-cost, safer, sustainable roads.”

Promoters of the technology—specifically Liberty Tire—call rubberized asphalt a low-cost, high-performance alternative to traditional paving mixes that reduces dependency on oil and limits carbon dioxide emissions. Added to traditional asphalt, crumb rubber comprises 8 to 22 percent of the binder and increases tensile strength.

Liberty Tire said for more than 40 years “rubberized asphalt has proven to diminish maintenance costs and provide a smoother, safer ride. Plus, recycled rubber provides a reliable and consistent supply of material.”

Kendall added that Liberty and Bridgestone are encouraging “decision-makers at the state and municipal level to take rubberized asphalt specifications from this event and put them into practice in Florida to save money without sacrificing performance.”

Recycle Florida is an invitation-only event. For more information contact Trisha Fisk at 412-642-7700 or via email at [email protected].