CONCRETE PLANS FOR OLD TYRES
"New Zealand has a long-standing problem, with 5 million waste tyres generated each year." Environment Minister Nick Smith
New Zealand’s mountains of used tyres look set for a second lease of life – as cement, rubber underlay and soundproofing.
Environment Minister Nick Smith has announced a $19 million plan that will see old tyres shredded, then put to other uses, while limiting the amount of stockpiled tyres.
‘‘New Zealand has a longstanding problem, with 5 million waste tyres generated each year,’’ Smith said.
‘‘We have dozens of tyre stockpiles around the country posing a fire risk, leaching contaminants, providing a breeding ground for rodents and insects, and blotting the landscape.’’
Under proposed environmental standards, tyre stockpiles of more than 200 cubic metres – about 2500 tyres – would be banned if they did not have council consent.
The Government will pay Waste Management New Zealand $3.8m to set up a nationwide tyre collection network, as well as tyreshredding facilities in Auckland by the end of 2017, and Christchurch in 2018.
Shredding tyres would make transporting them more economical, Smith said.
Meanwhile, Golden Bay Cement had been granted $13.6m towards technology to use old tyres in the manufacture of cement, by using the rubber to fuel kilns, and the steel in tyres inside the cement.
‘‘The major environmental gain from this initiative is a solution for millions of waste tyres, but there is also a benefit in reduced greenhouse gas emissions,’’ Smith said.
‘‘Golden Bay Cement is New Zealand’s fifth-largest emitter, and the substitution of rubber biofuel for coal reduces emissions by 13,000 tonnes per year, or the equivalent of 6000 cars.’’
Tyre Disposal Services 2012 owner Craig Shaw said new council powers to regulate stockpiles was a positive step, but he questioned their use as fuel.
‘‘There aren’t any new jobs, and you’ve not created an added-value product.
‘‘In Europe they are going away from TDF [tyre-derived fuel], purely because tyres, when recycled correctly, have some real value to them.’’
A further $1.2m in grants was being given out for projects, including creating rubber granules for rubber underlay, as well as feasibility studies into using recycled rubber for soundproof building products, roading and cycleway construction.
“These Government grants of $19m will enable $28m of investment into tyre waste solutions,’’ Smith said.
‘‘Combined with the new regulations restricting stockpiling, these measures will go a huge way towards a sustainable solution to New Zealand’s end-of-life tyre problem.”