Re: [GreenYes] Tire Management Hierarchy

["Doug Koplow" <koplow@indecon.com>]

Thanks to Jeff for posting his detailed work on tire recycling options.  I want to make it clear that from a waste hierarchy standpoint, I basically concur with his analysis.  As with most materials, reuse is generally preferable  because the significant investments in materials beneficiation (e.g., manufacturing the rubber and steel) can be partially recovered, rather than just the base energy content from burning.

However, Jeff's analysis also noted that "energy recovery from scrap tires is a much preferable option to landfilling."  This conclusion was based mostly on studies of the developed world where mosquitoes are a nuisance, but not a vector for life-threatening diseases.  In a tropical climate, the benefits of rapid burning over landfilling grow ever quicker.  If Jeff or others on the list believe there is current market capacity to handle tires in these higher value markets in any reasonable period of time, that would be important information for the Brazilian question.  Otherwise, burning seems the only realistic option.

I would like to raise a couple of other points/questions about the Morris analysis.  First, a distinction should be made between whole tires in cement kilns and use of tire-derived fuels in industrial boilers.  Whole tire usage requires less processing energy prior to combustion, which appears to be reflected in his estimates of energy savings.  Perhaps more important, however, is that combustion in the cement kiln environment tends to have fewer problems with emissions than do industrial boilers, since metals are mostly bound chemically to the clinker.  Second, I was unclear from his write-up why hydrocarbon releases are expected to rise from whole tire combustion.


_______________________________
Doug Koplow
Earth Track, Inc.
2067 Massachusetts Avenue - 4th Floor
Cambridge, MA  02140
Tel:  617/661-4700
Fax: 617/354-0463
E-mail:  koplow@indecon.com


>>> "Jeff Morris" <jeff.morris@zerowaste.com> 02/26/02 08:41PM >>>
I had tried to send Neil Tangri this information 
while I was in Europe last week, but it didn't get 
through at that point. The interchange among Neil, 
Bill Sheehan and Doug Koplow motivated the following 
posting.

I did some work on life cycle data on used tire 
management methods for Portland Metro and Seattle 
Public Utilities last year and published my results 
in the July/Aug 2001 issue of The Monthly 
UnEconomist available for no charge at 
www.zerowaste.com. The title of the article 
is "Review of Available Data on Lifecycle Impacts of 
Tire Diversion, Calculation of Multipliers for 
Sequences of Diversion Options, & Proposed Tire 
Management Hierarchy.  

The proposed hierarchy is: Reuse, Retread, Crumb 
rubber substitutes for virgin rubber, 
stamped/punched substitutes for virgin rubber, 
Energy recover or civil engineering uses, 
Alternative daily cover, landfilling.  

As you can see by this hierarchy the research data 
on lifecycle environmental impacts is much less 
supportive of energy recovery in cement kilns and/or 
industrial boilers than Doug Koplow's posting to 
Greenyes suggests. 

Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Morris

Dr. Jeffrey Morris
Sound Resource Management - Bellingham Office
112 Ohio Street, Suite 202
Bellingham, WA 98225

360-738-0255
360-738-0256 fax
www.soundresource.com or www.zerowaste.com 
jeff.morris@zerowaste.com 
                   
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