Contractor’s Report
to CalRecycle
21
surface. Pour-in-place products only qualify for CalRecycle grants if they are made with buffings
from processors or ground rubber derived from California waste tires. In general, ground rubber
is used in the base layer of pour-in-place surfacing while buffings tend to be used in the surface
layer.
Pour-in-place surfacing generally satisfies the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
requirements for wheelchair accessibility, and given its bound state, is less vulnerable to concerns
about fire and other health and safety factors. Partly for this reason, it has been suggested by
stakeholders that the overall market for pour-in-place playground surfacing may exceed loose-fill
playground surfacing over the long term, especially as new ADA test methods come into play. Its
primary disadvantage is cost, and this may limit the recovery of this market segment over the
short term due to municipal budget cutbacks.
As noted above, demand for buffings produced by retreaders has declined markedly in the past
couple years, possibly as a result of reduced demand for products using the material, such as
pour-in-place surfacing. Tiles compete with pour-in-place products in many markets and sales
may be growing at the expense of pour-in-place in some cases.
Molded and Extruded Products
In 2012, about 18.6 million pounds of ground rubber, derived from about 1.3 million passenger
tire equivalents, were used to produce molded and extruded products, a 28 percent increase in the
estimated volume over 2011. In this application, ground rubber generally in the 10- to 30-mesh
range, but sometimes higher mesh sizes, is combined with urethane and other materials, including
recycled plastics in some applications.
A wide range of products are produced in California, including playground and other tile
products, flooring, mats, wheelchair transition ramps, drainage channels, erosion control devices,
traffic control devices, wheel stops, roofing materials, underlayment, sealants, and more.
Although higher mesh material is now available in California, the use of California tires in the
production of more premium molded and extruded products in California may still be somewhat
limited by low production capacity to produce fine rubber powders with particle sizes of 80-mesh
or even 200- to 300-mesh. Several new producers of “very fine” ground rubber have emerged
nationwide, and one firm in California is now specializing in production of fine ground rubber.
Product applications include industrial machine parts such as gaskets, hoses, and insulation;
reflective paints; and potentially use in the production of new tires.
Opportunities for expansion of this market category are largely in the feedstock conversion and
new product development category, and may likely involve incremental increases of relatively
high-value products that command a higher price in the marketplace. Generally, depending on the
product, technology and other factors, manufacturers may benefit from one of three potential
drivers:
Potentially reduced raw material costs by substituting ground rubber for higher-priced virgin
rubber, plastic, or other raw materials;
Enhanced product performance due to the beneficial qualities of rubber in some product
applications; and/or
Enhanced marketing opportunities leveraging green marketing opportunities, for example in
the green building arena.
