Bonn, May 17.05.2022th, XNUMX According to the manufacturers, they are particularly safe and quiet: Seal and silent tires have an additional coating that offers drivers more comfort. But they are not sustainable: Due to the protective layer, these tires cannot be recycled. There are also security issues.
Self-sealing tires promise safe and worry-free driving: If a foreign object penetrates, a sticky sealant on the inside seals leaks and thus prevents punctures. However, seal tires also have disadvantages: After use, the additional coating can no longer be removed. The tires can only be roughly chopped up and then burned. Seal tires are unsuitable for the sustainable recycling of rubber powder or rubber granules. The situation is similar with silent tires: an open-pored foam ring in the interior of the tire reduces rolling noise. Here, too, the inner layer can no longer be detached from the rubber. If these tires end up in shredders, they contaminate the recyclate and can damage the machines.
security risks
Choosing Seal tires isn't just a bad idea when it comes to protecting the environment: There are also concerns about safety. In issue 6/2022 of the specialist magazine "Krafthand", Dr. Johann Schlögl, tire expert and expert for the tire mechanic and vulcanizer trade, drew attention to the risks of the seal technology. "The sealing compound in the tire also seals solutions and cracks that fall under the heading of safety-related damage," said the expert in an interview. This means that such damage often goes unnoticed and can become a security risk. In addition, self-sealing tires are heavier and could have a negative impact on fuel consumption and driving comfort. Seal tires therefore give drivers a false sense of security.
Increased effort - increased costs
Tire dealers, garages and consumers are faced with higher disposal fees for sealed and silent tires. These special tires must be separated from conventional used tires and sorted. In addition, there are often not enough buyers for thermal recycling. For these reasons, some disposal companies do not even accept seal and silent tires. Tire dealers and garages should ask their disposal company in advance about disposal and possible additional costs. In order to raise awareness of this disposal problem, the ZARE initiative calls for seal and silent tires to be clearly marked.
About the ZARE initiative
The ZARE initiative is an amalgamation of 18 companies organized in the Federal Association of Tire Trade and Vulcanizing Trades (BRV), 16 of which are certified waste management companies. The ZARE partners have set themselves the task of raising awareness of professional tire recycling in Germany. ZARE informs drivers about the environmentally friendly disposal of used tires. At 25 locations, the ZARE partners cover almost all of Germany and the Netherlands.
The partners of the initiative are:
Allgemeine Gummiwertstoff und Reifenhandels GmbH, Bender Reifen Recycling GmbH, CVS Reifen GmbH, Danninger OHG Spezialtransporte, Hartung Speditions-, Handels- und Transport GmbH, HRV GmbH, KARGRO BV, KRAIBURG Austria GmbH & Co. KG, KURZ Karkassenhandel GmbH, Mondo Reifenmarkt GmbH , MRH Mülsener Rohstoff- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH, NZ-Entsorgung eK, Reifen DRAWS GmbH, Reifen Külshammer, Reifengruppe Ruhr, REIFEN OKA - tire trade, tire recycling company Brenz GmbH, TireTech GmbH
Download:
Press release as Word document for download
Press release as PDF file for download
Figure: high_disposal_effort_for_seal-and-silent-tires
Caption: For disposal companies, the disposal effort for sealed and silent tires is significantly higher than for conventional tires. This is due to the additional coating on the inside.
Source: KURZ Karkassenhandel GmbH
