Recycling

State govt investigates specs for used tyres in asphalt

The Queensland Government recently announced it would be partnering with New South Wales-based Tyre Stewardship Australia to tackle the “national problem” of used tyre disposal.

Queensland Minister for Main Roads Mark Bailey explained that the state government-funded national venture would involve the development and trial of specifications for the use of crumbed rubber in road asphalt applications.

“[Initial] research found that crumbed rubber in spray seals can lead to improved road performance,” he said. “Now we want to see if this is also true for asphalt.

“We are about to enter the second year of a four-year study into tyre recycling but road asphalt applications have already proven successful in Queensland trials.”

State Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles said Ipswich-based Chip Tyre was one of the local businesses that currently recycled old tyres into road product, adding that the business shredded about 2.2 million used tyres each year, with other applications including adhesives and carpet underlay.

“From the end of this year, Chip Tyre will also crumb old tyres for road-based projects, preventing even more tyres from ending up as landfill,” he stated.

Commenting on the national scale of the tyre disposal issue, Miles said, “Every year in Australia, more than 51 million tyres reach their end of life and only 16 per cent of these tyres are recycled, with most ending up stockpiled or dumped in landfill.”

As an additional state-based measure, the Queensland Government is also investigating the possibility of implementing a landfill disposal ban on tyres, timber, green waste and concrete – the latter of which could be a potential boon for quarries equipped with construction and demolition waste recycling facilities.

The feasibility of such a ban – which the state government hopes will boost recycling rates and market opportunities for these materials – was being considered at the time of publication.

Tyre Stewardship Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that was established by tyre importers to promote the development of viable markets for end-of-life tyres. The organisation’s membership comprises representatives from across the tyre supply chain, including tyre retailers, manufacturers, recyclers and collectors.

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