Chemical Technology June 2015

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Duties and responsibilities of tyre dealers • They must register with REDISA. • When waste tyres need to be collected, REDISA must be advised. • Where and when must these waste tyres be collected by REDISA – ie, quantities and type must be specified. Benefits and advantages for dealers • They save because the collection of the tyres is done at no cost. • Improves the environmental and corporate carbon footprint. • Focus on your core business. Some current recycling technologies These include rubber crumbing, pyrolysis technology and tyre-derived fuels/ kilns technology. Rubber crumbing Rubber crumb is derived by reducing scrap tyres into uni- form granules. The inherent reinforcing materials such as

steel and fibre are removed, along with any other type of inert contaminants such as dust, glass, or rock. There is a growing demand for more and more waste tyres that can be used for end products made from the rubber, steel and textile derived from processing waste tyres. Crumb rubber is the result of processing automotive and truck scrap tyres in particular. During this process the steel and tyre cord (fluff) is removed, leaving tyre rubber with a granular consistency. This rubber crumb is often used in astro-turf as cushioning (where it is sometimes referred to as astro-dirt), asphalt for tarring the roads, floor mats, carpet padding, vehicle mudguards and adhesives. Currently REDISA works with about 12 recyclers. As the plan continues to roll out over the next five years, more recyclers and processors will be supported nation- ally. In addition, REDISA is currently paying recyclers and processors an infrastructure development grant (based on the tonnage of tyres delivered). The R310 per tonne grant REDISA pays is used to improve infrastructure at the factories so that output can be increased.

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Chemical Technology • June 2015