| The tires we put on our cars are made of rubber, a | | | | things we can do to reduce the number of tires that |
| renewable resource, right? Not so; well over 90% of | | | | may wind up being used as a toxic fuel alternative or |
| all tires are made from synthetics - and they have | | | | just dumped in landfills. You can also save some cash |
| certainly proved to be an environmental headache. | | | | in the process. |
| In the USA, about 300 million tires are scrapped or | | | | Extend tire life by: |
| dumped per year. | | | | - ensuring they are inflated to proper levels |
| Tires tend to be dumped in huge piles. If these piles | | | | - check inflation levels weekly |
| should be set alight, the smoke is an extraordinarily | | | | - don't speed |
| toxic cocktail and the runoff from melted residue can | | | | - corner, brake and start off gently |
| contaminate groundwater. | | | | - ensure your tires are properly balanced and rotated |
| Tires left sitting around in the open also collect | | | | regularly |
| rainwater and become perfect breeding grounds for | | | | - don't overload your vehicle.Tires can also be |
| mosquitos. | | | | recycled for many other uses. As far as I'm aware, |
| While there's been a lot of talk about recycling tires, | | | | the key is that the tires not be burned - that's the |
| 25% still wind up in landfills and nearly nearly half of | | | | greatest danger. |
| reclaimed tires in the USA are utilized as "Tire Derived | | | | Other ways tires are currently being reused: |
| Fuel" (TDF), usually burned alongside other fuels such | | | | - insulation blocks |
| as coal. | | | | - drainage aggregate |
| Burning tires creating huge amounts of toxic air | | | | - clean fill |
| pollution, oil, and heavy metals; including: | | | | - planters for tomatoes and potatoes |
| - benzene (carcinogen) | | | | - floor mats |
| - lead | | | | - belts |
| - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | | | | - gaskets |
| - butadiene (central nervous system damage, | | | | - shoe soles |
| carcinogen) | | | | - seals |
| - styrene (potential carcinogen) | | | | - washersOne of my favorite uses is the potato |
| - dioxins | | | | planter. You lay down a tire, fill with soil, then when |
| - furansSo unfortunately, taking them to recycling | | | | the potato has sprouted and the leaves reach higher |
| centers mightn't be that earth friendly after all. Check | | | | than a width of a tire, then add another tire and put |
| with the center that you go to regarding what | | | | in soil, covering the plant except for the topmost |
| happens to the tires they collect. While tires are a | | | | leaves. Repeat the process throughout the life of the |
| necessary evil in our modern lives, there's other | | | | plant and you'll have a huge crop of potatoes! |