Approximately 600.000 tons of used tires are generated annually in Germany. Used tire disposal is regulated by law and requires monitoring – because used tires do not decompose and therefore pose a danger to the environment if disposed of improperly!
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:
- 75% rubber
- 15% steel
- 10% textile
Tire marking
The so-called DOT number ("Department of Transportation") indicates the manufacturing date of a tire and can be found on the tire's sidewall. The number is four digits long, with the first two digits indicating 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.