When you think about it, the creation of new products by using old ones is pretty amazing. With advances in technology, we can take used, discarded materials, and transform them into something that is fresh, useful, long lasting, and reliable. This is seen with items such as paper, plastic, metal, glass, and even water—but can rubber be recycled? The short answer is that unquestionably, rubber can be recycled to create a large amount of recycled rubber products that are utilized in some very common, and some very interesting ways. For example, the materials from recycled rubber rolls can be put forth towards a vast number of applications in every aspect of your life. Take a minute to look and you’ll see that rubber in its recycled form is all around you: in your tires, in your streets, at your gym, in your child’s favorite playground, and in your shoes, too. For the most part, used elastomer is found in the form of discarded tires which accumulate in dangerous amounts at landfills across the country, which can contribute to potential pollution and the overcrowding and expansion of landfills. By recycling these discarded tires, a service is not only being done to ease of our normal day-to-day living, but to the environment that is constantly being threatened by waste and pollution.

Recycled rubber products are for the most part derived from old tires at landfills, but how do these tires move from a form which is best suited for automobiles to a form that is suitable for just about anything? Well, tires are not entirely made from elastomers—within tires you will find fibers of metal that will need to be removed before anything else can be done with the materials. Also, tires are made from rubber which has been vulcanized, meaning that it has been treated and heated with sulfur in order to strengthen the bonds between the chemical compounds; this process must be undone so that the rubber can be re-shaped into a form which is more suitable for the creation of multiple products. After the tires have been made free of metals and turned into crumb, they are treated and processed mechanically. Then the crumb is molded and the finished product is commonly seen as recycled rubber rolls, just like the ones that are available at Rubber-Cal and are suitable for the needs of any consumer.

These rolls can be cut to make flooring, matting, protection for industrial equipment, industrial pads, and gaskets, to list only a few things. Because they are easily customizable for just about any shape or size, they are effectively used in many functions and are appealing to both the largest and the smallest of consumers! But recycled rubber can also be found in pavement, asphalt, construction material and apparel accessories, among other things. Despite having been recycled, these products have proven to be just as durable and reliable as those that use new rubber, and can even perform better than their rubber-less counterparts. Despite their improved performance, these products and materials are commonly more cost effective, a surprising incentive to begin researching and using these products!

Sometimes, the tires themselves are used in full to create things such as barriers and gardening structures—they need not even go through any of the chemical or mechanical processes that are used to create sheets. The functions that old tires can serve are limited only by your imagination. Anyone can be creative enough to find a better place for an old tire than in a landfill. Through great strides in science and technology, the recycling processes have been found to even be capable of creating new forms of energy that are comparable to petroleum-based fuels and more efficient than using coals, an interesting response to the energy crisis that this planet faces every day.

Many before have wondered: “can rubber be recycled?” and have been surprised at the depth of the response. It is an involved process of machinery, chemistry, and most importantly, imagination. Before going out and purchasing recycled rubber rolls, consider the many ways in which they can be applied. It is an opportunity to be creative and to contribute to the preservation of resources and energy—not to mention your own money! Recycled rubber products are typically very affordable and very dependable, if you do your research and obtain them from the right provider. Rubber-Cal, with its large line of products and services, intends on being that provider and a leader in the industry now and in the future.