Sustainability
By recycling scrap tyres Ragn-Sells Tyre Recycling reduce the need to produce new material and helps conserve the earth's resources. In addition, we are constantly working to reduce our impact on the environment and human beings.
Production of tyres is a resource demanding process and the life expectancy for a tyre is only three to four years. Therefore, it is important that we take care of the tyres that have made their service on our roads and reuse the material in different ways. Every year we collect and recycle about 70,000 tonnes of tyres in Sweden and Norway. Our ambition is to contribute to a circular flow of material, where virtually all collected material can be recycled.
Between 85 and 90 percent of the tyres are used in the production of tyre shreds and rubber granulates. Shredded tyres are used as high-grade fuels in the cement industry and in energy plants. Tyre derived fuel replace non-renewable fossil fuel as coal and pet coke. All tyres contain steel which is useful in production of cement wich further improve the sustainability factor in tyre derived fuel.
Rubber granulates are among others used in artificial turf and on horse riding courses, as well as for improving asphalt for safety and noise. There is a misconception that rubber granulates made of used tyres, especially in artificial turf, adversely affect human health and that it contributes to more micro-plastic in the ocean. This has been the subject of several investigations, but no negative effects are documented.
Ragn-Sells Tyre Recycling encourages and contributes to research on recycled tire materials, people and the environment, and welcomes all new knowledge about how the material affects the environment and can best benefit.