About 600.000 tons fall annually Old tires in Germany. the scrap tire disposal is regulated by law and requires monitoring - because Old tires do not rot and are therefore a danger to the environment if disposed of incorrectly!
All Old tires includes not only car, truck and light truck tyres, but also motorcycle, solid rubber and agricultural tractor and earthmoving machine tyres.
The amount of used tires across Europe is around 3,4 million tons.
In Germany, only 30% are certified scrap tire disposal utilized. The declared goal here is to continuously increase the quota.
The percentage of recycled content is:
- 67% rubber
- 18% steel
- 14% textile
- 1% residues
Tire marking
The so-called DOT number ("Department of Transportation") indicates a tire's date of manufacture and can be found on the tire's sidewall. The number is four digits and the first two digits indicate the calendar week followed by the year of production.
The tire shown was therefore manufactured in week 23 of 2019. If tires are more than five years old, they are no longer considered new, even if they have not been used and have been stored properly.
Tip: Tires should be replaced after ten years at the latest.