Tire Industry Problem Offered Solutions by Rubber Technology
5 September 2000
Tire Industry Problem Offered Solutions by Rubber Technology International; RTI Offers Ecological Solution to Tire Recycling Dilemma
LOS ANGELES--Sept. 5, 2000--Rubber Technology International, Inc. (OTCBB:RTEK) announced today: "We are taking a proactive approach to the tire industry's current growing demand to recycle defective tires by increasing our recycling capacity and reaching out to the tire manufacturers to guarantee proper and complete recycling of these tires," stated Trevor Webb, President and CEO of RTI."In August we processed 49% more tires than in July, an increase that can be attributed to the current recall and is evidence of the tire manufacturers' recent commitment to dispose of defective tires in an ecological manner," stated Webb.
The Company sees the disposal of scrap tires as a problem that is potentially devastating to the environment. According to the Scrap Tire Management Council (STMC), "Between 270 million and 280 million tires a year are discarded in the USA."
An article in USA Today (8/31/00) stated, "About 500 million tires are in the U.S. landfills. That's particularly vexing because they often won't stay buried. Whole tires trap air and methane gas (which is generated by decaying materials in landfills), causing the tires to float to the surface. As a result, many tires are stored in tire piles or are dumped illegally."
If the recently recalled 6.5 million tires were put in a single stack they would stand over 900 miles high.