Progress, challenges: 5 key points from USTMA's Scrap Tire Management Report

WASHINGTON D.C.—The good news is that scrap tire markets are growing, especially in light of the recent passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The bad news is that scrap tire generation continues to out pace the growth in these sustainable end markets, and has done so since 2013.

Still, the 2021 Scrap Tire Management Report, released in December 2022 by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association, can be considered a net positive in the journey toward a truly circular economy.

"We see scrap tire recycling as a key part of our role in supporting a sustainable circular economy, and we have been steadfast in our efforts to promote market expansion," said Anne Forristall Luke, president and CEO of USTMA. "USTMA will continue its commitment to expand markets and help advance opportunities for scrap tire technologies through work with our value chain partners, federal and state policy makers, academia and NGOs."

The 15th biennial report on scrap tire management showed a 71-percent consumption rate for used tires in 2021, meaning just less than three quarters of all scrap tires generated in 2021 in the U.S. found a home in tire derived fuel, ground rubber, land reclamation projects or civil engineering undertakings (among other end markets).

This is down from 76 percent in 2019, and a high-water mark of 96 percent in 2013.

The 2021 numbers are attributable to a 13-percent hike in scrap tire generation against a 6-percent increase in end markets.

Even so, only batteries and cardboard are recycled at a higher rate than scrap tires, which continue to find end uses at a higher rate than glass, plastic, aluminum, metal and paper, according to the USTMA.

Here are five trends to take away from the most recent scrap tire management report.

The ground rubber market has increased by 29 percent since 2019, for the first time pushing it past tire derived fuel as the largest scrap tire end market.

According to the USTMA, roughly 28 percent of all scrap tires in the country ultimately turn into ground rubber.

Molded and extruded products increased by 25 percent and ate up 485,000 tons of scrap tires. This includes an uptick in products like rubber mats and flooring.

Rubber mulch consumed 391,000 tons of end-of-life tires, an end market increase of 54 percent over 2019. The USTMA attributes this rise to home renovations and facility improvements during COVID shutdowns.

Rubber modified asphalt, a once-promising market, consumed 141,000 tons of scrap tires, as, in this case, COVID hindered the market.

Fine ground rubber, used in new tires, coating, sealants and other exports, took away another 79,000 tons of scrap tires for a more sustainable use.

Tire derived fuel, or TDF, dropped to the second-largest scrap tire market in 2021. The end market itself dropped 15 percent since the previous report was issued in 2019.

According to the USTMA, TDF consumed about 28 percent (but just less than ground rubber) of all scrap tires in the U.S.

Cement kilns were responsible for using the most scrap tires for TDF at 682,000 tons, a decrease of more than 16 percent due to a drop in demand for cement.

Pulp and paper mills logged the second-highest amount of tires for TDF at 524,000 tons, an increase of 9 percent over 2019.

Electric and utility boilers dropped more than 50 percent since 2019 in their use of scrap tires for TDF, consuming about 187,000 tons since 2019. As emission limits continue to tighten and coal-fired plants are shut down, this market for TDF will continue to decrease, according to the USTMA.

Scrap tire stockpiles continue to decrease, and that certainly is a positive national trend, according to the USTMA.

Today, there are about 50 million tires in piles across the U.S.—mostly in Colorado and Texas. While that amount might seem high, it is down 95 percent since 1990, when there were more than a billion tires in piles.

To continue this trend, the USTMA said, end markets need to increase.

And one of those ways is to "seize historic infrastructure opportunities" with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

"USTMA is focused on expanding opportunities to grow scrap tire markets that offer infrastructure solutions," the group states in the 2021 Scrap Tire Management Report. "This year, USTMA worked with congressional leaders to identify provisions in the BIL that support scrap tire recycling and the use of scrap tires in rubber modified asphalt and tire derived aggregate in civil engineering projects."

While sustainable end markets for scrap tire use should be encouraged, according to the USTMA, state's have their own responsibilities in ensuring a viable program is in place for scrap tire consumption.

"Most programs to eliminate stockpiles are addressed by state governments, so it is critical to ensure states have robust scrap tire management programs that generate revenue streams for scrap tire abatement and research to assess existing and emerging markets," according to the USTMA.

Texas stockpiles, which account for almost 24 percent of the total stockpile inventory, are high but continue to achieve progress in the reduction of inventory.

Approximately 11.5 million scrap tires are spread across the country, with four states—Washington, New Mexico, Virginia and New Jersey—exceeding 1 million, and 44 states with fewer than 1 million scrap tires.

Like so many initiatives in the sustainability world, the scrap tire market needs partnerships to thrive.

"USTMA, for its part, continues its ongoing work with stakeholders on multiple fronts to encourage the growth of circular, sustainable markets for scrap tires," the group said in the new scrap tire report.

On the heels of the USTMA's partnership with The Ray—a philanthropic organization that pushes sustainable transportation technologies—and researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia, the group released a State of Knowledge report on rubber modified asphalt.

This year, USTMA expects to release similar research about tire derived aggregate in partnership with the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC), Liberty Tire Recycling, First State Tire Recycling and the University of Wisconsin.

The USTMA also is organizing its ninth scrap tire conference, set for 2024 to increase networking and partnerships.