WASHINGTON—The number of stockpiled scrap tires in the U.S. fell 93 percent in the past 25 years, to 70 million in 2015 from 1 billion in 1990, according to the 2015 Scrap Tire Management Summary issued by the Rubber Manufacturers Association.
Also, nearly 90 percent of all scrap tires generated in the U.S. reached end-use markets in 2015, the new report said.
Stockpiled scrap tires have a tendency to collect water, making them prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes, RMA said in a press release. Cleaning up stockpiles has become especially important with the threat of the Zika virus, it said.
“Effective state scrap tire management laws and programs advocated by RMA have produced a remarkable environmental success story,” said RMA President and CEO Anne Forristall Luke.
Just two states—Colorado (31 million) and Texas (17 million) account for about 70 percent of the remaining tire stockpiles in the U.S., according to the RMA. Arkansas, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington also have major stockpiles, accounting for nearly 12 million tires altogether, the association said.
Tire-derived fuel remains the largest single market for recycled scrap tires, at 48 percent, according to RMA. Ground rubber is second at 26 percent, it said.
The full report can be found here.