| the
need |
| The need for efficient and
effective recycling technologies has never been clearer, particularly in consumer
orientated societies. On a global scale an estimated 500 million tonnes of waste is
generated each year. |
| |
| Waste rubber continues to
attract a high level of attention with more than 10 million tonnes of rubber being
scrapped annually (more than 60% of this being in the form of tyres) and with known
stockpiles in excess of 20 million tonnes. |
| |
| There are growing concerns
regarding the environmental impact of these rapidly growing stockpiles. |
| |
| As current technology does
not enable true recycling of rubber, efforts have been focussed on the extension of the
product’s working life, the chemical regeneration of the material, the
‘downcycling’ of the material into lower specification applications and the
recovery of energy from the material through incineration. Clear limitations are
associated with each of these approaches. |
| |
| In order to further
focus attention on this problem legislation has been drafted, particularly in Europe and
America, which eliminates the disposal of rubber in landfill sites and increases the
requirement on manufacturers to include recycled materials in their new products. |
| |
|
|
