Xinhua reported that the small and medium size tire manufacturers in Nanning Guangxi Province recently held an environmental conference. During the conference, the participants raised their concerns about the rapid increase in used automobile tires and the potential impact this has had as an environmental hazard. According to statistics that the China Rubber Industry released, in 2013, China produced 299 million used tires which weighed 10.8 million tons. That number has been increasing by 8 to 10 percent each year. By 2015, the total number of used tires reached over 300 million. The environmental concerns include increases in used tire storage space; its impact on the natural environment; and fire sensitivity, which could produce a large amount of smoke and hazardous substances. According to the article, China’s used tire recycling rate is only at 60 percent due to the fact that the manufacturers have a limited recycling and reuse capability, low profitability, and the lack of a market.
Source: Xinhua, July 11, 2016
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2016-07/11/c_129133731.htm