Each year more and more tires find their way to the landfill. To illustrate the enormity of the situation regarding discarded tires, here are some statistics: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2003, it was estimated that approximately 290 million tires were discarded in the United States. Thankfully, a little over 80 percent of these discarded worn out tires are now being recycled.
Many of the tires scrapped annually are recycled for fuel. A good portion of the balance of these discarded tires are chopped up into rubber strips or into beads called crumb rubber. The beads are recycled to use as materials for street repairs and the rubber strips can be reprocessed into other new products.
In recent years, research on uses for scrap tires and advances in technology have created many new markets and innovative applications for both the beads and the strips. New uses for the repurposed rubber are popping up daily from mulching with tire chips, playground surfaces, footwear, door mats and other non-slip sidewalk, ramp or stair runners.
A New Use for An Old Tire
Recently on a trip to a local home decor center, I searched for a new door mat to keep some of the back yard actually in the back yard. With two dogs traipsing in and out of the house several times a day, the new mat would need to be durable, easy to clean and care for and preferably one that was eco-friendly.
Made from recycled rubber reclaimed from scrap tires I discovered the perfect solution, an environmentally friendly door mat. This new mat will help save my home’s floor and rugs from the damage from tracked in water, sand, and dirt while also being a product I’m proud to have in my home. It’s attractive and eco-friendly. I couldn’t be more pleased!
The selection of eco-friendly mats were very limited at my local store and only offered a black and brown model. In the past I have found eco-friendly versions in brighter colors such as green and red that have been painted. The problem with the painted versions is that the colors fade and wear over time. So, I decided to stick with the plainer black and brown model.
This mat is heavy enough to stay put during a heavy downpour and has been very resistant to the harsh summer sun we experience in Florida. Dirt and mud easily scrape off from our shoes and from the dogs paws. All this dirt becomes trapped between the patterned holes of the mat instead of ending up on my clean floor inside.
According to the packaging, my new environmentally friendly mat will resist stains and mildew. So far, the advertising has been absolutely correct. It’s easy to clean too. All I’ve had to do so far is shake it out to clean it. But, I feel that it’s durable enough that if it needed a good soaking wash with the hose it, would still stand up well.
I’m very pleased with my door mat made from reclaimed tire rubber. I’d recommend that anyone shopping for an eco-friendly solution for their next door mat to consider one of these products. After all, it’s just one more way to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
