Scrap tire markets continue growth.

The Scrap Tire Management Council (STMC) announced that the market demand for scrap tires consumed 174.5 millions scrap tires in 1995. This represents 69% of the 253 million scrap tires generated in 1995 and is an increase of 26% from the total consumed in 1994.

"We are obviously very pleased with the continued increase in demand for scrap tires. These numbers clearly indicate that scrap tires have beneficial applications and have been accepted by the market place" stated Michael Blumenthal, executive director of the STMC. "This new level of demand is truly amazing when you consider that as recent as 1990 market demand for scrap tires was a mere 11% of the total number generated annually.

The largest increase in use was in tire-derived fuel (TDF), increasing from 101 million scrap tires in 1994 to 130 million. Civil engineering and ground rubber applications also demonstrated significant percentage increases, both increasing by one third. Civil engineering accounted for 12 million tires and ground rubber used up 6 million tires. 15 million scrap tires went to export; 8 million were used in punched/stamped products and agriculture applications accounted for 2.5 million scrap tires. The only market segment to decrease was in pyrolysis. This is attributable to the lack of any full-time time, commercially operational facilities, and a virtual shut down of demonstration facilities.

"All the indications for 1996 are that the market demand for scrap tire products should increase," indicated John Serumgard, chairman of the STMC. "It is not unreasonable that we will have demand for more than 75% of all the scrap tires generated by the end of 1996. This would make scrap tires the most re-useable secondary material in the nation" Serumgard continued.

Since 1991 the STMC, created by North American tire manufacturers, has been actively engaged in market development issues for those technologies which are both environmental and economically sound.