Tire Pollution: The Essential Facts

When you think of tires, the phrase “burning rubber” might come to mind, but this characterization is actually only half accurate. While tire material is made with small amounts of genuine natural rubber, almost all tires are made from a mixture of synthetic rubber, derived from crude oil, and other plastic compounds. In fact, modern tires generally use about 7 gallons of crude oil to make, with truck tires using around 22.  

Studies have shown that a lot of the tires on the market are made using a number of toxic chemicals and compounds, with a dearth of regulations about what tires have to be made of in many countries.

Not all tires are created equal, with some brands using higher-quality materials that wear down slower, and others using less toxic compounds. That being said,  synthetic rubber and plastic tires definitely dominate the industry, which is why they’re contributing so heavily to pollution. 

With all the carcinogenic particles found in tires, it should be no surprise that the wear and tear of tire material over time contributes to pollution, and it does so in two primary ways: namely, air pollution and microplastic pollution in our seas. 

As tires rub against the surface of roads, they release tiny particles of tire dust and compounds into the air, in a way that actually massively trumps car exhaust chemicals a few hundred times over. Studies have indicated that within the US and the UK, over 30,000 tonnes of tire rubber are released into the air on a yearly basis, in particles too small to be seen by the human eye. 

Used tires release around 36 milligrams of particles into the air with every kilometer driven, while exhausts only release around 0.02mg in the same amount of distance. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that so many are losing their lives early to air pollution year after year. 

Beyond the particles that are released into the air, recent studies have revealed that tires are actually a massive contributor to the microplastic problems that are ailing our seas. While much of the search for plastics in our waters is consumed by looking for fishing nets and single-use items from landfills, it’s now been discovered that around 10% of all the seas’ microplastics come directly from tires. 

With microplastics (and indeed macroplastics) in water, biodiversity is in serious danger, with more and more fish and sea life dying from choking and poisoning every day. Along with this, the plastic content in water is also doing damage to underwater plant life, such as coral and kelp. Clearly, it’s not all about plastic straws and oil spills.

The fact is that people still need to drive, but until something is done about tires, the problem will only continue, and likely get worse. Some argue that the changes don’t need to be that drastic, with the potential benefits of removing the bottom half of low-quality tires out of circulation being massive. However, without strict regulations or a shift in industry tactics, the issue could worsen for years to come.