Tire Recycling Has Everyone Seeing Green

Environment, Technology and The Tire Shark® Lead Tire Recycling Trend

EAST HARTFORD, CT - Today, approximately four out of five scrap tires are consumed in end-use markets according to a recent study conducted by the Rubber Manufacturers Association, a national rubber products trade association. This represents a nearly eight-fold increase since 1990. What's contributing to the massive growth in tire recycling? Increased environmental awareness, improved technology and a cutting edge tire compactor called The Tire Shark® is leading the tire recycling trend.

"It's a well-known fact that recycling tires reduces the number of tires discarded in landfills and helps save the environment," said Brian DiFatta, vice president of recycling at OAKLEAF Waste Management, the exclusive North American distributor of The Tire Shark, a patented, hydraulically-based tire compactor. "Recycling reduces the amount of energy and pollution that occurs when a company has to make a new product from scratch, helping to prevent things like global climate change."

As a result, tire recycling technology is constantly evolving and, today, recycled tires can be found just about anywhere. Tire remnants are in ground rubber applications used on playgrounds and on professional and high school playing fields where they provide added quality, durability, safety and drainage. Scrap tires are even used to make tire derived fuel, which offers a cleaner more economical alternative to coal, and in asphalt roads offering improved flexibility.

"As new technologies continue to flourish for converting scrap tires into recycled products, the demand for compacted tires will grow further and soon they will become valuable commodities," said OAKLEAF Waste Management CEO Jim Barnes. "Though tire retailers are still paying to discard tires we have the foresight to see that the market is going to flip just like it has with other recyclable commodities like cardboard and plastics. Eventually tire retailers will be paid for their tires."

And that is exactly why OAKLEAF became the North American distributor for The Tire Shark®, which crushes scrap tires to one-third of their original size. The Tire Shark makes tires more transportable contributing to their worth as a valued commodity. For retailers, The Tire Shark increases hauling loads and lessens disposal pick-ups reducing costs, as well as freeing up space that was previously used for storing excess tires. In addition, it enables retailers to execute environmentally friendly practices by ensuring an end-use for their tires.

"Before The Tire Shark we relied on a trailer that held only 1100 tires. But the rolloff container provided by OAKLEAF is half the size of our trailer and it can fit the same amount of tires," said Bill Sekula, vice president of operations at Hay Tire, an American Car Centers affiliate, based in North Carolina. "We're on track to save between 15 and 20 percent this year and now our tires have an end-use." -

After just one year in circulation, The Tire Shark is used by more than 50 tire retailers in nine states. OAKLEAF anticipates multiplying its usage in 2007.

"With our innovative approach to recycling, eco-friendly strategies and concern for used tire liabilities we are confident that we will lead the tire industry into its next phase," said Barnes.

Since its inception in 1995, OAKLEAF Waste Management has been providing waste solutions and outsourcing services to a broad base of multi-location retail, restaurant, hotel, manufacturing, property management and mall clients. OAKLEAF works with 4,600 certified recycling vendors and waste haulers and manages more than 85,000 service locations. OAKELAF was recently named to Inc. Magazine's 2006 Inner City 100 List for the third year in a row and surpassed $300 million in annual sales in September of 2006. For more information about The Tire Shark or OAKLEAF Waste Management please visit www.oakleafwaste.com.