Abu Dhabi recycles thousands of tonnes of old tyres

Close to 7,000 tonnes were recycled this year and the rubber will be used in sports flooring and children's playgrounds

The tyres were recycled at the Gulf Rubber Factory in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Tadweer

Close to 7,000 tonnes of used vehicle tyres were recycled in Abu Dhabi over the first eight months of the year.

The 420,000 tyres underwent a complex process of cutting, shredding and purification before being converted into compounds known as crumb rubber.

These can be an alternative to natural rubber as well as being used in flooring for sports grounds and children's playgrounds.

Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre – Tadweer – said the tyres were decommissioned at its Gulf Rubber Factory. The state of the art factory was set up in Al Ain in 2011 and it uses recycling technologies from leading European countries.

Salem Al Kaabi is acting general manager at Tadweer.

“The facility ensures the safe disposal of used and damaged tires in the emirate, eliminating the need for methods such as burning or landfilling that have severe environmental and public health consequences. In addition, the factory saves millions of dirhams in raw material costs," he said.

Tyres are flammable and removing them from landfill can stop fires breaking out. They can also take hundreds of tears to degrade.

Tadweer aims to recycle 75 per cent of waste produced in Abu Dhabi by 2021. Other than tyre recycling factories, the capital has recycling plants for plastic products, construction and demolition waste, as well as used engine oil.

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