HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-03-27 What Happens to Scrap Tires
William A. Kucharski
Harry Kim
Director
Mayor
Diane A. Noda
Wilfred M. Okabe
Deputy Director
Managing Director
County of Hawai‘i
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
345 Kekūanāoʻa Street, Suite 41 • Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720
Ph (808) 961-8083 · Fax (808) 961-8086
http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/environmental-management/
March 23, 2018
NEWS RELEASE
What Happens To Scrap Tires
Over one million motor vehicle tires are imported into Hawai‘i each year according to a
fact sheet on the State of Hawai‘i Department of Health’s website entitled “How to Manage
Your Scrap Tires.” Consequently, a large number of scrap tires are generated when new tires are
installed.
Hawai‘i state law (Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, Chapter 342I, Part II) requires a tire retailer
to charge a disposal fee for each new tire purchased, even if the customer chooses to keep the old
tire. The intent of the law is to decrease the health risks from tires by reducing the number of
scrap tires in the community. Scrap tires may collect water which can contribute to mosquito
borne diseases, or they can catch fire and create toxic smoke. The Hawaiʻi County Code also
prohibits disposal of tires in landfills or transfer stations.
It is estimated that more than 50% of scrap tires from the island of Hawai‘i are used to
generate electricity in waste-to-energy plants or heat for industrial uses. Most scrap tires are
utilized to generate energy on O‘ahu, the U.S. mainland, and in foreign countries.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 publication entitled “Scrap
Tires: Handbook on Recycling Applications and Management for the U.S. and Mexico” states
that 54 percent of scrap tires generated in 2007 were used as fuel, and only about 17 percent
were processed into ground rubber and utilized to make many creative products.
Scrap tires are also recycled to make a wide range of products that include recreational
court surfaces, rubber mats, mulch, fill material, rubberized asphalt, traffic cones and even
furniture. The County of Hawai‘i’s Department of Environmental Management used scrap tire
crumbs as ground cover at some of the County’s Recycling and Transfer Stations. The County is
unaware of any current on-island producers of used tire content products.
County of Hawai‘i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.
Sources for more information:
Office of Solid Waste Management
Department of Health
State of Hawai‘i
http://health.hawaii.gov/shwb/solid-waste/
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
United States
www.epa.gov
To find the document “Scrap Tires: Handbook on Recycling Applications and Management for
the U.S. and Mexico” search for it at:
www.epa.gov/nscep
For information about recycling scrap tires on the Island of Hawai‘i visit:
www.hawaiizerowaste.org/recycle/tires/
Bales of Hawai‘i Island scrap tires ready for shipment.