Australia’s Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said the government is investing AUS $4 million ($2.9 million) to work with industry to establish a crumbing plant in Tasmania. Per reports in the local press, the government plans to utilize recycled rubber from used truck tires in road resurfacing, in line with its commitment to cutting waste and working towards a circular economy.
The island state of Tasmania disposes of about 1.3 million tires every year, most of which end up in landfills or stockpiles.
Mr. Ferguson said crumb rubber has already been used on several resurfacing sites in the north of the state recently, including on the Bass, East Tamar, and West Tamar highways. He confirmed that the government would work with the industry to explore opportunities for the use of crumb rubber in road resurfacing in the state.
Tires are processed into crumb rubber on the mainland, in the state of Victoria, before being blended with bitumen at Fulton Hogan's plant in Launceston, Tasmania, for use in road resurfacing. The crumbing process is cost-effective compared to using a virgin polymer, as well as being environmentally friendly since it addresses the issue of end-of-life tires (ELTs). Meanwhile, the crumb rubber blended binder reportedly provides a longer-lasting road through a slower oxidation rate.
The investment by the Australian government will help boost the use of crumb rubber in Tasmania. A blending facility is to be set up at Fulton Hogan. The Tire Stewardship Australia is said to be supporting a couple of different initiatives at the site.
Source IR Journal