Today, there are a number of better scrap tire management options, including the use of tire-derived fuel in facilities like cement kilns, the use of tire-derived aggregate in civil engineering projects, and the production of crumb rubber to make soft and durable playground and ball-field surfaces. In addition, entrepreneurs, scientists, federal and state officials, tire and rubber recyclers, and product developers continue to seek and launch new methods for diverting scrap tires into high value, environment-friendly markets.

Even so, there are still many more scrap tires than markets for them, and the number of tires being buried in U.S. landfills is still significant. As the industry-leading Rubber Manufacturers Association puts it, “the need to expand all economically viable and environmentally sound markets for scrap tires is still an imperative.”

The McKinstry Reklaim technology responds to that imperative in important ways. High quality products produced in an environment-friendly way makes our technology the kind of tire recycling market opportunity the industry and public policymakers have been looking for. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for example, recognizes tire recycling options like ours as higher and better uses than either burning or landfilling – and most state and local governments agree.

There’s no burning or combustion associated with our closed loop process, so greenhouse gas pollution isn’t an issue at plants using our technology. And our continuous flow process allows us to save energy and run more efficiently as plants using our process recycle scrap tire rubber into valuable oil, carbon black and steel.

Potential uses for oil generated by the McKinstry Reklaim technology include “green” lubricants, solvents and alternative fuels. Our carbon black can be used to produce printer inks, plastics and rubber products, as well as to clean our environment by removing harmful chemicals from water and air. And the steel can be re-used in construction materials and other applications.

Over time, the McKinstry Reklaim technology will be able to generate more than half the electricity needed to run those facilities.