CalRecycle has recently awarded $8.2 million to 30 communities that use recycled tyres in infrastructure projects.
Recycled Tyres Repair California Highways
According to the department, projects supported by CalRecycle’s Rubberised Pavement and Tire-Derived Aggregate grant programmes help California use some of the 48 million scrap tyres managed in the state each year.
“These public works projects help keep California scrap tyres out of our landfills and promote local markets for recycled tyre products,” CalRecycle Director Scott Smithline says. “CalRecycle’s grant programmes turn our old tyres into a resource to make our communities safer and reduce local costs for infrastructure projects.”
Napa County was awarded $510,082 to use about 4,000 tons of tyre-derived aggregate in place of conventional construction material for civil engineering projects. The properties of scrap tyres allow for “free-draining, lightweight and typically less expensive solutions” for these types of projects.
Rubberised asphalt concrete, which is made by blending ground tyre rubber with asphalt binder, is “ideal for high-traffic areas,” uses approximately 2,000 recycled tyres per lane mile, lasts up to 50 per cent longer and can reduce road noise, the department says.