Tyre Environmental Issues In South Africa
| Waste tyres - Pollution
reduction. Four major pollution
problems will be eliminated with the introduction of the waste tyre collection process: i.
Water retention and mosquitoes - Tyres form an ideal receptacle
for water, which remains there for long periods, becoming ideal breeding
grounds for insects including mosquitoes. Different strains of malaria
are spreading throughout the country. Spraying these tyres is costly and
ineffective. ii.
Fire – A large stockpile of waste tyres forms a serious fire
hazard and once burning, becomes virtually impossible to extinguish. iii.
Smoke – Acrid smoke, generated from tyres burnt to recover
scrap steel, causes respiratory problems, pollution of the air and
surfaces, and is a hazard for aircraft landing at major airports as well
as for road traffic. |
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Uncontrolled burning of waste tyres. The lack of a waste tyre disposal system in SA is creating problems. Landfill sites are filling up and many are not accepting tyres due to the associated problems of fire hazard, mosquitoes breeding and of tyres resurfacing after being buried. Some operators are burning waste tyres to recover the scrap steel, which is then sold. The burning of tyres in the open, without proper temperature control and oxygen feed, is a major contributor to air pollution. The acrid smoke generated causes vehicle accidents and aircraft navigation problems. Waste tyres burnt in a controlled environment, such as cement kilns at 1300°C creates less pollution than coal and less waste product. The steel of the tyres aids the cement composition. It also saves fossil fuels. For more information on this issue see: Tyre Recycling |
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