With environmental concerns high on everybody’s agenda, there are still practical problems involved in adopting more environmentally-friendly practices. But when it comes to tyres, consumers can rest assured that they don’t need to go to landfills – and when they choose Branigans tyres, they can be absolutely sure of best-practice disposal of their worn-out tyres.
Those with enquiring minds may wonder what “best practice” consists of. Branigans Tyres’ owner, Chris Lett is happy to expand on the topic. “Whatever happens, old tyres shouldn’t be left lying around in heaps, burned, or sent to landfills,” says Chris. “Not too long ago, tyre disposal was a huge problem, particularly in the United States, where massive ‘tyre mountains’ were not uncommon. One of them caught fire in 1983. It consisted of an estimated 7 million tyres, and the resulting plume of smoke caused dangerous air pollution that affected three US states. Responsible tyre disposal is important, and Branigans has all the systems in place to achieve it.”
How to Handle Old Tyres
Chris doesn’t believe in leaving anything to chance, and that includes the disposal of tyres. Grading is the first step. Some tyres may be too worn-out for use in Australia, a country where retreading is no longer cost-effective. However, there are parts of the world where retreading is still done and where rough roads mean that no tyre, no matter how new, is going to last very long and using older tyres makes the best sense.
“Branigans sends container-loads of tyre casings to countries involved in recycling and to countries where ‘2nd grade’ tyres are welcomed,” explains Chris. There are other forms of recycling too.
“When the tyres are so old that they can’t possibly be reused, it’s possible to extract valuable elements from them. The tyres are chipped and oil, steel, and carbon black will be among the usable elements reclaimed. Tyre chips can be recycled in several ways. There’s a special type of asphalt made using chipped tyres, and there’s even a springier type of paving made with recycled tyres as a component. On top of that, various products including exercise mats and vehicle mudguards can be made with old tyre rubber.”
The End of the Tyre Disposal Problem Could be in Sight
Chris notes that new designs for non-pneumatic tyres that are fully recyclable and will never go flat are on the way. “Hankook recently tested the performance of its iteration of the idea with positive results, and Michelin is also busy with a similar concept.”
“It’s possible that, in the future, tyre disposal won’t be as complex as it is now, but it should be remembered that there are still a lot of rubber tyres out there, and it will probably be several decades before the situation changes. Meanwhile, it’s every person’s responsibility to ensure that old tyres are disposed of or reused in an environmentally-appropriate way, and Branigans can be relied on to apply the best solutions as part of its responsibility towards the community, the planet, and future generations.”
For further information, visit or call Chris and his team at Second Hand Tyres Gold Coast |Branigans Budget Tyres by contacting the Service Centres in Burleigh Heads (07) 5535 2660 or Southport (07) 5591 8633.
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