The responsible reduction, reuse and recycling of scrap tires has the power to vastly impact the global economy and environment.
I happen to be in the middle of reading A Sacred Balance by David Suzuki at the moment, and I noticed that one of the themes of the book, the fact that corporations can no longer afford to ignore the environment, is actually at the heart of one of our client’s mandates at Environics Communications. Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) is a great example of an organization that is just as focused on the environment as they are on the economy.
The recycled product manufacturers that work with OTS also fit this forward-thinking business model, incorporating innovative technologies in manufacturing their eco-friendly products.
As part of this focus on sustainability, manufacturers are also placing more of an emphasis on the full lifecycle of the goods they produce. It’s no longer enough to simply create a well-functioning product, businesses also need to be thinking about where products will end up when they reach the end of their lifecycle.
National Rubber Technologies (NRT) is a recycled product manufacturer that creates flooring made from recycled tires. For a recent project at Earth Rangers Centre for Sustainable Technology, NRT provided their Pro-Fit Flooring as a gym surface in the centre’s new athletic facility. Employing reusable and recyclable products is extremely important to the Earth Rangers Centre. In fact it is a theme throughout their facility, which is why NRT’s flooring was such a good choice for the project. The flooring was extremely quick and easy to install, and is now used daily by Earth Rangers’ employees who frequent this in-office athletic facility. Watch the video below to view a video case study about the project.
If we are to take a progressive approach to our economy, it’s essential to make business objectives align with environmental goals.
In the case of tires, 12 million are sold each year in Ontario, and there is now a consistent flow of tires being sent to recyclers, meaning ample raw material for recycled product manufacturers. While improper disposal of tires had been an issue in the past, since the introduction of the OTS Used Tires Program, a strong and innovative tire recycling industry has flourished, with an impressive focus on sustainability. New products should be created with lifecycles in mind so that we’re not waiting for a problem in order to find the solution.
In the manufacturing world, the future looks bright for innovative, green technologies. Our hope is that organizations like OTS will start to inspire other industries to align their economic and environmental targets.
For more information on NRT and other recycled product manufacturers, click here and check out the many tire derived products that OTS supports.
Vanessa Ciccone
Consultant
Envrionics Communications
