Contractor’s Report
to CalRecycle
6
Estimates Are for Use of California-Generated Tires Not Total Market Size:
The 2012
estimates presented in the report indicate the approximate number of California waste tires
flowing into each market segment. They do not “count” imported ground rubber or finished
products, nor do they “count” rubber buffings derived from retread operations that subsequently
go into a variety of recycled rubber applications. Consequently, the estimates indicate the flow of
California waste tires into different end-use market segments, not the size of the end-use markets
themselves.
Waste Tire Management Based on Documented Flows:
The report does not directly estimate
waste tire generation. Rather, the total estimate of waste tires managed is estimated based on the
sum of all documented flows, mainly to and from processors and other recipients of whole tires,
derived from the sources listed above, with some limited adjustments for undocumented flows
(tire reuse, un-manifested exports), and to avoid double-counting. Tires that are stored as
inventory or not managed in accordance with regulations are not necessarily captured by this
methodology.
Tire Diversion Rate Not Adjusted for Residuals:
As with most state and national tire recycling
market studies, in this report the tire diversion rate is based on whole passenger tire equivalents
that go to different market segments. Adjustments for steel and fiber residuals that may occur as a
result of producing ground rubber have not been made. While these residuals are often recycled, a
comprehensive analysis of their disposition has not been performed.
Industry Overview
Figure 1 illustrates California waste tire flows and identifies the types of firms involved in
California waste tire management. For this year’s report, 14 “processors” were surveyed that
handle significant quantities of whole waste tires generated in California. There are also
additional, permitted facilities such as cement kilns using whole tires and landfills that shred and
dispose of tires. Additionally, eight “exporter” facilities were identified which received whole
waste tires and baled or shredded them for export.
