energy recovery

Despite a growing awareness of the resource value and environmental impact, energy recovery remains a popular method for addressing post consumer tyres, often supported by government and industry initiatives. Traditionally, the reliance on energy recovery in the US through TDF (Tyre Derived Fuels) was much higher than in Europe although the Scrap Tire Management Council in the USA did report that historically, an increase in demand for cement can lead to the setting of higher efficiency and performance targets and therefore reductions in TDF usage in favour of alternative fuels in cement kilns.

In Europe, Germany is a leader in the recovery of energy from waste tyres. In some cases this has led to a shortage of particular grades of tyre, typically truck tyres, for recycling operations in certain regions.

There is increasing concern regarding the environmental impact of burning rubber. These concerns include possible airborne pollution and a resistance to the burning of non-renewable resources (oil and carbon black). The continuing increases in environmental control legislation tend to reduce the economic feasibility of the total process and large generation facilities are constantly evaluating the economics of a wide range of fuel types.