Tarmac develops rubberized asphalt from end-of-life tires

LONDON—Tarmac, a United Kingdom-based supplier of sustainable construction materials claims to have developed a new rubberized asphalt using recycled waste tires, a move it says demonstrates its commitment to a circular economy.

The asphalt mix uses granulated rubber from end-of-life tires, recycling about 750 tires for every 3,200 feet of roadway, the company said."While plastic recycling has attracted media headlines, used tires remain a significant and overlooked waste stream," Tarmac's Technical Director Brian Kent said in a statement.

To date, the U.K. has not had the infrastructure to support the reuse of recycled tires in a meaningful way, Kent added, noting that a major investment in strategic road work could provide an opportunity to leverage the technology.

Recently, Tarmac supplied its rubberized asphalt as part of a initiative undertaken by the City of Coventry. The feedback from that project was positive, Kent said.

In a statement, Rob Little, Coventry City Council's senior engineer for highways noted that "Coventry City Council is delighted with the rubberized asphalt trial; We hope we can use more of the product across the city in the future."

Peter Taylor OBE, secretary general for the Tyre Recovery Association, said that the U.K. needs to seek new technologies to help with the disposal and reuse of waste tires. Each year, he said, the U.K. exports roughly 120,000 tons of rubber waste to countries including China, India and Pakistan.

"The U.K. needs a second disposal route for used tires," Taylor said. "Tarmac's commitment to developing rubberized asphalt provides an excellent opportunity."

In addition to furthering its own efforts to recycle 8.7 million metric tons of waste from a variety of industries, the newly developed asphalt also falls in line with Tarmac's commitment to use waste tires to power its cement kilns.