A primary economic driver for diverting tires out of the waste stream is the value of crumb rubber. Approximately 30 percent of the recovered waste tires are being processed for this purpose. Unfortunately, two by-product streams are generated in significant quantities during the recovery process: steel and fibers. Due to a lack of market demand, these byproducts must be disposed of, which, increases processing costs and lowers the profitability of waste tire recycling. To rectify this situation, markets must be developed to increase demand for tire-derived steel and fiber. Before markets can be developed however, the current status of tire-derived steel and fiber utilization must be analyzed to determine the marketability of the two materials. To that end, the California Integrated Waste Management Board (Sacramento) commissioned CalRecovery, Inc. (Concord, California) to gather background data and information by surveying waste tire processors, the tire industry and the marketplace both nationally and internationally.
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