While environmentalists have been citing concern over the issue of tyre recycling for decades, not much progress was made until recently. With environment-friendly goals on the agenda, the UAE government has now taken action for recycling large amounts of tyres that were previously dumped in landfills.
Today, we will learn more about tyre recycling in the UAE and why it is an important step.
Importance of Tyre Recycling
Rubber tyres are non-degradable due to vulcanization and antioxidants included in them. Therefore, either these tyres were landfilled or incinerated in open-air previously. Open incineration can release toxic gases and cancerous pollutants, therefore the process is not permissible by the UAE environmental law. Whereas, 75% of tyre dumping in open spaces requires large lands and it can also react with methane gas to produce a reactive mixture.
Therefore, car tyre recycling is the most suitable option. The UAE government has taken rapid actions against tyre recycling with an aim to reduce automotive carbon footprint in the region. Currently, few of the largest tyre recycling plants in the world are operating in the UAE.
Tadweer Waste Tyre Recycling
Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre is also known as Tadweer is the largest tyre recycling plant in the region. It was opened in 2012 and operates six days a week round the clock for recycling old tyres. It was a progressive and eco-friendly step which also shows results in a few years.
Process of Recycling
There are multiple processes to recycle tyres in a facility. Every process has its pros and cons. Tadweer the largest tyre recycling plant in the UAE, works on shredding style recycling. Tyre recycling equipment and process is elaborated below.
- Scrap Loader: Scrap tyres from all across the region are collected and sorted before uploading on the loader. The loader transports these tyres to the shredder.
- Shredder: It plays a significant role in tyre recycling. The shredder is responsible for grinding big tyres into smaller pieces. It contains cutting knives and sharp blades which shred tyres. This shredded granular mixture is then forwarded to the shredding belt.
- Shredding Belt: The shredding belt is a long belt that vibrates to separate tyre and metal. The magnetic process is used to separate metal from rubber. Metal prices are collected in a separate container and rubber at the end of the belt in the form of a heap.
- Sieved Granulates: The rubber collected is then further processed to make different recycled tyre products. Few facilities in the world also use cryogenic processes, in which rubber particles are frozen using liquid nitrogen. This helps in breaking and crushing them more conveniently.
The process is similar for racing and road tyres. This whole process took 45 minutes to complete from loading to rubber granules collection.
Capacity of Recycling
Tadweer recycling facility located at Al Ain, Abu Dhabi is capable of recycling 8000 kg of tyres in an hour. These rubber particles are shredded to 0.5 to 4 millimetres and used for different purposes. These granules are 99% free of steel and other impurities mixed with tyres. The steel collected is sold to the iron and steel industry in the region.
How are recycled tyres utilised?
Products prepared from cheap and recycled tyres are largely used across the globe. Around 40% of the total products manufactured in the facility are imported to different countries. The product manufactured from waste rubber is dependent upon the customer’s demand. However, the majority of the rubber is converted into soft mats to be used for animal farms. Oman, the biggest importer of recycled rubber mats, uses it for camel breeding, whereas Denmark uses the same for cows and goats.
In some cases, endothermic compression moulding is used to manufacture mats from crumble rubbers that can be used as playground tiles. Its durability and impact protection for children made it a popular product across the world. It can be used in both indoor and outdoor playing facilities. Despite all these efforts there are many tyres that are not recycled, therefore you should ask yourself some questions before buying tyres.
Where to Dump Tyres for Recycling?
Tadweer is responsible for collecting all the waste tyres from your home. You can provide them with the scrap tyres that will directly lead to the recycling plant. Other than that, you can contact your nearest tyre shop if they are storing scrap tyres which will be later provided to Tadweer.
It is estimated that Tadweer has recycled almost 7,000 tonnes of waste tyres till now. It is a significant achievement towards an eco-friendly UAE. You can also contribute to it by changing your tyres on-time, older tyres are worn-out and lesser rubber is recycled. Moreover, if you are willing to buy a used car for sale in the UAE, ensure that its body and tyres are recyclable.
Stay tuned to UAE’s top auto blog for more information on tyre recycling.
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