Waste
Let’s talk trash.
Building on Ray C. Anderson's industrial legacy, we believe that transportation will thrive by adopting practices that mimic nature's cyclical, waste-free systems.
Tire waste represents a significant and ongoing problem; however, promising solutions are emerging from innovative approaches, such as the circular economy and biomimicry.
The Problem of Waste Tires
Each year, American motorists discard approximately 317 million waste tires, or about one tire per person, which creates over 5.6 million tons of tire waste. While recycling and repurposing rates have improved significantly to an estimated 81%, a substantial portion of these tires still end up in landfills or illegal stockpiles. Stockpiled tires pose severe hazards, including the risk of large-scale, long-burning fires that release toxic pollutants and the potential for groundwater contamination from leaching heavy metals. They also serve as breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects.
Rubber-Modified Asphalt
Asphalt pavement containing recycled tire rubber, is a key market-driven solution for addressing the tire waste problem. This technology aligns with the circularity concept in infrastructure by keeping materials in use for as long as possible. By transforming a waste product like tires into a valuable resource, we can close the loop and prevent waste.
The global market for modified bitumen, which includes rubberized asphalt, is projected to grow to $44 billion by 2035, with road construction as the dominant segment. This growth is driven by the performance benefits of rubberized asphalt, which include:
Extended Pavement Lifespan: It's more durable and resistant to cracking and rutting.
Reduced Noise Pollution: The rubber content creates a quieter driving surface.
Improved Safety: It offers enhanced skid resistance.
Sustainability: It reduces the need for new raw materials and diverts tires from landfills.
Nature-Inspired Innovation
Beyond recycling waste into new products, biomimicry offers a transformative approach by looking to nature for solutions. Biomimicry in waste management and transportation seeks to emulate nature's closed-loop systems, where there is no waste and the output of one process becomes the input for another. For example, some advancements inspired by nature include:
Self-Healing Materials: Researchers are developing asphalt and concrete that can self-repair, inspired by how plants and animals heal wounds. This could significantly extend the lifespan of roads and reduce the need for constant maintenance and new materials.
Waste-as-a-Resource: Just as a forest floor's waste (fallen leaves, etc.) becomes nutrients for new growth, biomimicry inspires systems that view waste tires as a valuable resource to be repurposed, as seen in rubberized asphalt, or even broken down into their base components for other applications.
Efficient Processes: Innovations in recycling and material processing can be inspired by natural systems, such as how certain fungi and bacteria break down complex materials.