By Marvin Bozarth, Executive Director International Tire & Rubber Association

     Most recycled products available in the market today come at a premium price. Solicitations from many government agencies specify that they will pay an additional percentage for recycled products. Without exception, all of the recycled products used at the International Tire and Rubber Association (ITRA) Headquarters cost more than products that are not recycled.

     In highest demand is recycled paper. Prices for recycled paper compared to virgin paper vary from 5 to 10 percent more. On the other hand, a retreaded tire can cost a customer less than one third the price of a new tire while conserving valuable natural resources and reducing the cost of solid waste disposal.

     I am often asked by people outside the tire industry why we say, "Retreading is Recycling". They also question how retreading can be considered an environmentally friendly product. Most of us in the tire industry know why we can make this claim. But those individuals who aren't familiar with the retreading process have little idea how environmentally friendly retreads really are. A worn tire, called a "casing", that is accepted for retreading represents approximately 80 percent of the cost of manufacturing a new tire. The casing will be thoroughly inspected and reconditioned with minor repairs in preparation to applying a new tread, which can contain up to 10 percent recycled, reprocessed rubber. This reprocessed rubber does not negatively affect tire performance, and in some cases enhances it.

     In the next stage, the tread is bonded to the tire through a vulcanization process requiring heat, time, and pressure. Most manufacturing materials for new and retreaded tires are products derived from crude oil. Producing a new 11R22.5 medium truck tire requires approximately 25 gallons of oil, while a same size retread uses only 15 gallons. The retreading process can be repeated numerous times on many types of tires, each time generating tremendous savings in oil usage.

     Aircraft tires routinely receive 12 or more retreads; haulage and local pickup and delivery truck tires are often retreaded 5 times or more; and high-speed long haul truck tires generally receive 2 or 3 retreads. Passenger tires are usually retreaded only once.

     Over 28 million tires were retreaded in the U.S. in 1997, which generated a savings of approximately 400,000 barrels of oil. The total retread sales exceeded US $2,1 billion. When analyzing the economic savings, we compare the prices of popular sized retreads and new tires. One of the most preferred passenger tires is the P195/75 R14. The selling price of a retread in this tire size is approximately US $30, while the price of a new one is US $50. One of the most popular light truck tire is the LT235/85 R16. The average price of a retread for this tire is US $60, while the price of the same size new tire can reach US $100 or more.

     By far, the largest segment of the retread market is the medium commercial truck tires used on over-the-highway and local pickup and delivery trucks. Over 17.3 million were retreaded in 1997. The most popular size in this category is 11R22.5. The average cost to retread this tire is approximately US $100, while the average price of a new 11R22.5 tire is US $295. * *some premium brands can cost as much as $400. This is a savings of a US $195 per tire. When multiplied by the 17.3 million that were retreaded in the U.S. last year, the savings is US $3,373,500,000 over the cost of new tires.

     Retreading is an important part of a total tire management program. Any tire program that does not include retreading--whether a trucking fleet, off-the-road construction outfit, pickup and delivery vehicle, airline fleet, or other operation--will find that their total tire costs are unacceptable.

     Recent announcements by Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone, and Marangoni of Italy, regarding expansion of their retread commitments in the U.S., are a clear indication of retreading's importance to the tire industry. More advancement in retread processing equipment and inspection techniques will be evident in 1998 than in the last five years. Everyone involved in the tire and transportation industries, whether they are retreaders, new tire suppliers, or servicing dealers, owes a debt of gratitude to the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB). They work tirelessly to distribute accurate information to the general public and the media concerning the importance of proper tire maintenance. Many uninformed people want to blame tire failures on the manufacturers or retreaders. TRIB always goes the extra mile to obtain the facts regarding tire performance and keeps the public informed regarding tire safety. This is an outstanding service the retread industry provides to the transportation industry.