Study on End-of-Life Tires (ELTs) Recycling Strategy and Applications

Abstract

Due to modernization and urbanization, the number of vehicles on the road has been increased. Around 3 billion tires have been sold, and an equivalent number of tires have been discarded each year. Even though the lifetime of the tires has been increased but according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of end-of-life tires is going to rise approximately 5 billion in a year. Its complex composition, make it the most tricky and difficult waste in the world to handle. Because it creates significant health and environmental problem by emitting harmful chemicals in the environment, working as a birthplace for pests, and prone to fire hazards. Recycling waste tires can add economical value also creating a sustainable way to dispose of them. This paper presents different recycling strategies and civil engineering applications of end-of-life tires. Reduction, reuse, recovery, and recycling have been applied. Application of waste tire as reinforcing layers in landfill, road pavement, drainage system, fuel source in the kiln, playground surface makes it an ideal material for affordable, medium-density, low-rise buildings that are highly valued worldwide. Moreover, the sound insulation and absorption with enhanced seismic resilience properties of the end-of-life tire can provide novel and effective engineering solutions.