Tyres are recycled through a series of mechanical and sometimes chemical processes designed to break them down and reuse their materials. First, collected tyres are inspected and sorted, some may be suitable for reuse or retreading, while others are sent for recycling. The tyres are then shredded into smaller pieces, often called rubber chips. Steel wires are removed using powerful magnets, and textile fibres are separated through air processes. The remaining rubber is further ground into fine particles known as crumb rubber. This material can be reused in a variety of ways, such as in playground surfaces, sports fields, road asphalt, or even new rubber products. In some cases, tyres are also processed through methods like pyrolysis, where they are heated in the absence of oxygen to produce oil, gas, and carbon black, all of which can be reused in industry.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish Process' from episode 32 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 6th March 2025.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

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