Solid Waste Management and Rubber Reuse
Potential in the Rubber Industry
GEORGE L. HUFFMAN, Engineer
Industrial and Agricultural Data Section
Office of Solid Waste Management Programs
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, Ohio
INTRODUCTION
The Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965 called for the initiation of a program of
research and development aimed at providing solutions to the multitudinous
problems associated with effective solid waste management. To meet the responsibilities under this Act, it is necessary to obtain accurate basic information about the
solid waste produced by specific industries—character, quantities, distribution, and
potential for economic reuse of the waste.
The Federal solid waste management activities, now a part of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), initiated two studies to obtain this basic
information for the fabricated rubber products industry. The first study, performed
by Uniroyal, Inc., defined the solid waste management problem of the rubber
products manufacturing industry and examined the reuse potential of the industry's
waste, as well as the reuse potential of worn-out rubber waste from the consumer.
The second study, performed by the International Research and Technology Corp.,
centered on developing incentives for reusing or recycling the most troublesome of
the fabricated rubber products, worn-out tires. Both studies have been completed
and reports will be available.
Although waste rubber products are not unique when compared with other
types of solid waste, they do possess inherent characteristics that make their disposal
or their reuse difficult. They consist of rubber combined with other materials such as
fiber and metals; they are made in various sizes and shapes; they become widely
scattered upon use; they resist compaction when disposed of in sanitary landfill
operations; and they incinerate "with a vengeance," giving off sooty, noxious,
high-sulfur-bearing fumes. Although solutions to these problems have been proposed,
and even exist in some cases, more widespread application of solutions to the
problems is what is needed.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FABRICATED RUBBER PRODUCTS INDUSTRY
AND ITS SOLID WASTE
In this description of the fabricated rubber products industry, the through-puts
and percentages cited are for the production year 1968; however, they are treated as
though they are indicative of today's operations.
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