ISRI Advances Scrap Tire Recycling Initiatives

Washington, DC - Scrap tire recycling initiatives have become a major focus of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI), following its merger with the National Association of Scrap Tire Processors. ISRI's Scrap Tire Processors chapter has more than doubled over the past year and currently represents tire recyclers in ten states across the United States.

Chapter president Mark Rannie of Emmanuel Tire, Baltimore, Maryland, said, "Our membership is growing as we offer programs and services specifically geared toward tire recyclers and firms join so they will have a role in developing them." Rannie also chairs ISRI's Task Force on Steel in Scrap Tires, which includes tire recyclers, ferrous processors, steel consumers, and equipment manufacturers. The task force is developing specifications for tire wire as part of a larger effort to increase tire wire marketability. "As we obtain broader input, we can develop a new business stream for tire recyclers and an improved supply source for steel mills," Rannie said.

ISRI's Tire & Rubber Division is developing a new policy position on state scrap tire laws. "We are building on ISRI's strength in government affairs," said division chair Bill Vincent of Colt Inc., Scott, Louisiana. "ISRI is the voice of the recycling industry, and tire recyclers are developing their own voice within ISRI. As our numbers increase, our policy position and influence will become even stronger," Vincent said. Among other initiatives, ISRI is exploring ways to promote recycled rubber through particular products, such as rubber asphalt and civil engineering applications, and through industry measures such as specifications.