Synthetic turf results in the recycling of more than 100 million tires
Liberty Tire Recycling espouses the benefits of recycled tires
The Synthetic Turf Council recently announced that as of 2011, the estimated total amount of synthetic turf installed in North America conserves more than three billion gallons of water, significantly reduces smog emissions, eliminates close to a billion pounds of harmful fertilizers and pesticides, and recycles more than 105 million used tires.
“Synthetic turf is an excellent investment for the environment,” said Jeffrey Kendall, CEO of Liberty Tire Recycling, a Pittsburgh-based provider of tire recycling services in North America. “It provides an outlet for millions of scrap tires and helps to keep these tires out of the waste stream. We hope that the work and research the Synthetic Turf Council performs will help to increase awareness about the numerous benefits synthetic turf can provide for our environment and our communities.”
According to Liberty Tire, crumb rubber derived from recycled tires enhances the performance of a variety of sports surfaces, providing an ideal infill for sports fields and paving for running tracks. Crumb rubber adds cushioning and springiness to protect athletes, and surfaces made from crumb rubber dry quickly, drain excess moisture, reduce dust and mud, and minimize freezing.
Liberty Tire has supplied the crumb rubber for numerous synthetic turf fields across North America including: The University of Pittsburgh, Harvard University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Michigan and Ohio State University, as well as for various projects in Canada. The rubberization of athletic surfaces offers many benefits to help prevent injuries and reduce stress on leg muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. The specially designed infill with dust free rubber granules prevent “flyout” and “splashing,” as well as migration of the base, so that traction, drainage and shock absorption are maximized.
Liberty says synthetic turf positively impacts the environment by:
• keeping more than 105 million used tires out of landfills;
• conserving more than three billion gallons of water;
• lowering consumption of energy, raw materials and solid waste generation;
• eradicating the use of almost a billion pounds of pesticides and fertilizers;
• preventing smog and noxious emissions;
• and reducing grass clippings.
Liberty Tire Recycling reclaims more than 110 million tires annually throughout the U.S. and Canada, creating about 1.5 billion pounds of recycled rubber for smart, sustainable products. The recycled rubber produced by Liberty Tire is used as crumb rubber and industrial feedstock for molded products, as tire-derived fuel for industrial kilns, mills and power plants, and as rubber mulch for landscaping and playgrounds.