Maryland Department of the Environment (for pda/handhelds)

Consumer Tips and Facts

Tips

• Contact your county's recycling coordinator or MDE to find out where you can bring scrap tires for recycling.
  
• Make sure your scrap tires are being disposed of at a licensed collection facility.
• You may ask to see the collection facility's license.
  
• Report any unlicensed collection facilities to MDE by calling (410) 537-3315.
  
• Report any illegal dumping of tires to MDE or the local authorities.
  
• In order to transport 5 or more scrap tires annually, a license is required.
  
• Go to How to Reduce Scrap Tire Problems for additional tips.

Facts

1. Approximately 5.6 million scrap tires are generated each year in Maryland.
   
2. Number of scrap tires generated annually in the United States (2001): 281 million
   
3. Approximate weight of these scrap tires: 5.68 million tons
   
4. Percentage of total solid wastes generated: (2001): 1.8%
   
5. Number of scrap tires in stockpiles:  300 million
6. Number of scrap tires going to a market (2001): 218 million
   
7. Number of scrap tire processing facilities: 498
   
8. Number of scrap tires used for fuel (2001): 115 million
   
9. Number of facilities using tire-derived fuel (2001): 82
   1. 36 cement kilns
   2. 18 pulp and paper mills
   3. 17 industrial boilers
   4. 11 utility boilers
      
10. Scrap tires used in civil engineering applications (2001): 40 million
    
11. Number of scrap tires exported (2000): 15 million
    
12. Scrap tires processed into ground rubber (2001): 33 million
    
13. Scrap tires punched/stamped into new products (2001): 8 million
    
14. Number of states with scrap tire legislation/regulations: 48
    
15. BTU's per pound of scrap tire rubber: 15,000
    
16. Average weight of a passenger car scrap tire: 20 pounds
17. Average weight of a light truck scrap tire:  30 pounds
18. Average weight of a heavy truck scrap tire:  100 pounds
    
19. Number of states that ban whole tires from landfills: 38
    
20. Number of states that ban all scrap tires from landfills: 11
    
21. Number of states with no landfill restrictions: 8
    
22. Number of states with a fee: 33
    
23. States that allow Monofills: 17
    
24. Percentage of scrap tires that are passenger car tires: 84
    
25. Percentage of scrap tires that are from light and heavy trucks: 15
    
26. Percentage of heavy equipment, aircraft and off-road tires: 1 
27. Amount of steel in a steel belted radial passenger car tires: 2.5 pounds
    
28. Oil (equivalency) in a passenger car tire: 7 gallons
    
29. Number of passenger car tires to equal one ton: 100
    
30. Specific gravity of tire rubber: 1.15
    
31. Number of polymers (rubber) used in tire construction: 3-4
32. Number of scrap tires used in a pyrolysis process (2001):  0
    
33. Number of new products that contain recyclable tire rubber: 110 and counting
    
34. Fastest growing new markets: playground cover, soil amendments, flooring/matting, landfill construction materials