Rubber (post-consumer and post-industrial) scrap is a sizeable component of the total solid waste. The majority of such scrap derives from the transportation industry (tires of automobiles, trucks, off-road vehicles, and motorcycles); but other sources of rubber waste include clothing, footwear, gaskets, and furniture.
In 2020, the United States generated 9.7 million metric tons (mmt) of rubber waste, out of which 5.5 mmt were landfilled (55%), 2.9 mmt were combusted for energy recovery (27%), and only 2.1 mmt were recycled (17%). Recycling rubber waste is challenging, and efforts in improving related policies and technologies continue to evolve to increase sustainability and the circularity of the rubber industry.
Progress is impossible without change. So start the change right away from within your circle of influence, by recycling your old tires.