(This blog post is fourth in a new series we will be writing here at Hipcycle on the materials that go into our products. Previous posts were on glass, metal and paper)
I’ll bet you don’t think about your tires very often. Those rubbery, grippy, dirty things that manage to get us from point A to point B all safe and sound. Now that I have two love-muffins riding with me most places, I certainly think about my tires more often than before. And, the slightest loss of grip sends me to the tire store for new ones.... especially during our snowy, Colorado winters. On my most recent trip to the tire store, I started wondering about the old tires and what was happening to them (seems like I do a lot of thinking about that kind of stuff these days.)
Here’s what I found:
Of all the discarded items in landfills, tire waste is one of the most problematic. Not only is there a large volume of them (27 million per year) and have a 75% void space, but they can also trap methane gases. Stockpiles of tires are a great health and safety risks for a number of reasons. Tire fires can ignite and burn for months creating a substantial pollution problem. Disease carrying rodents can inhabit tire piles, mosquitos can breed in the stagnant water inside of tires and snakes and other small mammals can cause risks to landfill workers.
In recent years, tire-recycling programs have kept nearly three quarters of all tire waste out of landfills. Of the 290 million scrap tires generated per year, 44.7% are used as fuel, 19.4% are recycled in civil engineering projects, 7.8% are converted into ground rubber for products, 4.3% are converted for use in rubber-modified asphalt, 3.1% are exported for reuse, 2.0% are recycled into stamped products, and 1.7% are used in agricultural and miscellaneous uses.
I was excited to read about the recycling efforts of tires. But, that still leaves a quarter of tire waste out there filling up landfills and sending toxins into our environment. Enter Hipcycle, curator of upcycled items.
Upcycling tires is a fantastic way to ensure that thousands of pounds of waste don't go to waste. Artisans take the discarded tires, cut them into many sizes and shapes, then either braid or mold or flatten them into really cool – and durable! – items for your home. Here are a few of the upcycled tires we offer at Hipcycle.
Shaped like a cylinder, these are super gifts for the "manly man" in your life, who shuns baskets and traditional containers. Though these can easily be considered masculine, they also fit in well in many living rooms and bedrooms as well. Naturally produced in black, such a color matches just about any other color in the room, simultaneously concealing that which you don't want guests to see.
Even a superhero with a man cave needs coasters- but they all look so feminine! Hipcycle comes to your rescue with this set of 4 coasters made from upcycled tires and metal to protect your surfaces. Nice-looking enough for even the missus to give them the thumbs up, these make great gifts for the men in your life who claim that they'd be satisfied with nothing less than a brand new [insert power tool name here]. Trust us, he'll like them.
Strips of reclaimed tires are securely woven together to give you a safe place to step when it's icy outside, and an eco-friendly option to wipe your shoes on.
Designed to function as a pot for your favorite plants, this is yet another product that is without limits when it comes to what it cannot be used for. Corral your remote controls, magazines, or even your small umbrellas in this unique pot made entirely of tired-out tires!
Now that I understand more about the environmental impact of discarded tires, the recycling options available, and (the awesomeness) durability of upcycled tire products, I’m thinking about them a little bit differently. And, I hope you do, too!
Please share your favorite recycled, reused or upcycled items below.
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Susan is Goddess of Marketing at Hipcycle and Get-It-Done Guru of Get Susan Marketing. She spends her weekends chasing after two active boys, sifting through her husband's garage sale finds and attempting to work on upcycling projects of her own.
