Most Americans probably don’t know that the U.S. alone produces 290 million tires annually – and each year, a significant number of these tires age and are discarded, adding to the 4 billion tires already in our international landfills. Tires, of course, are a necessary and essential part of the global transportation industry. Their use in Off-the-Road (OTR) industries such as mining, agriculture and construction are pivotal to growing our planet’s infrastructure and economy – but this doesn’t change the fact that used, “tossed out” tires are a major environmental pollutant.
To help combat the proliferation of tire trash cluttering our planet, Accella Tire Fill Systems, a division of Accella Performance Materials and the industry’s market leader in producing alternative, eco-friendly polyurethane tire fill for pneumatic tires, is partnering with these industries to improve sustainability across the global tire marketplace.
Taking Steps
Accella has been taking steps for the past four decades to help mitigate the growing problem of tire waste in landfills by creating greater awareness around tire fill as a more environmentally supportive alternative. Accella markets its tire fill solution under its patented TyrFil line of polyurethane liquid products that may be pumped into any pneumatic tire to replace air with a resilient, synthetic rubber core that completely eliminates dangerous and costly tire flats in commercial and industrial heavy equipment vehicles. This solution eases environmental strain by helping to keep whole tire and scrap tire waste out of domestic and international landfills.
When their useful lifecycle ends, “solid aperture” tires (another common tire choice for industrial use) are most frequently landfilled, as these solid tires may not be ground into tire crumb and these scrap tire pieces are not biodegradable. Alternatively, because it actually decreases the amount of old tires and solid tires discarded by the industry annually, using tire fill ensures that less tire waste goes into our environment.
Choosing Tire Fill
Choosing tire fill also enables operators to retread existing tires to prolong their lifecycle – something, again, not possible with solid aperture tires. Accella’s tire productivity equipment is also designed to allow end-users to grind up old polyurethane tire fill product for repurposing – enabling TyrFil product to be easily recycled for extended usability. Additionally, because Accella Tire Fill Systems uses state-of-the-art formulations comprised of sustainable raw materials, including a proprietary water-based option, TyrFil is cleaner for our planet.
“Accella Tire Fill Systems has had a legacy of sustainability for the last 40 years by eliminating flat tires in commercial and industrial vehicles and thereby radically reducing landfill waste,” said Joe Negrey, vice president of Accella Tire Fill Systems. “Accella Tire Fill Systems’ manufacturing operations also create virtually zero waste or emissions. Additionally, because TyrFil extends the life and usability of a tire, it delivers a more reliable, cost-effective and eco-friendly tire productivity choice that can positively impact our customers’ carbon footprint, as well as their financial bottom-line.”
In connection with this year’s Earth Day celebration, Accella is drawing attention to the ways that the industry can work together to select more responsible tire productivity alternatives that increase performance and defray costs, while also protecting the environment. The company partners with American Forests and Accella’s OEMs, aftermarket dealers and distributors around the world to plant one new tree for every tote of its tire fill product purchased as part of its “One Tote, One Tree” green initiative. As of Earth Day, Accella will have planted nearly 125,000 new trees on behalf of its customers.
Added Negrey: “Accella created the ‘One Tote, One Tree’ campaign as part of a broader corporate initiative to enable our customers in the industries we serve to also take part in creating eco-friendly approaches to industrial production. Our brand is deeply committed to helping the tire and OTR categories deploy higher standards as it relates to the utilization of greener products. We believe that it’s a win for our customers, the industries we both serve, and the planet.”
Accella Tire Fill Systems, www.accellatirefill.com