When Your Rubber Comes Off The Road: Top 5 Uses for Old Tires
When your cars tires are no longer safe for driving, don’t just throw them out! Through today’s technology, the tires that once got you from point A to B are able to be repurposed for use in many different products and materials for your community.
Here are the top five uses for old tires:
1. Tire Take Back: OARA (Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association) has set up locations in communities across Ontario for you to drop off old tires for free. For each of the tires that are dropped off, a donation is made towards the Sunshine Foundation of Canada, an organization that helps dreams come true for children who are challenged by severe physical disabilities or life-threatening illnesses. Learn more at: http://rethinktires.ca/
2. Playground turf: Today, many playgrounds are forgoing the use of small rocks as turf, replacing them with a synthetic surface made from ground up tires. This surface is more springy than rocks, providing additional safety to children who may fall off the playground equipment.
3. Rubber gym floors: Similar to playground turf, old tires can be recycled and used as gym floors. These floors provide a safer alternative to traditional flooring, as they are more springy, which reduces injuries.
4. Shoe Soles: More and more we are seeing shoe soles being made with recycled tires. These soles are more durable than your traditional ones, which means that you’ll save money by not having to constantly replace shoes with worn out soles.
5. Playground equipment: The use of old tires to make playground equipment is becoming increasingly popular. Old tires can be used to build many aspects of children’s playgrounds including tire tunnels, log rolls, sandboxes, and much more.
