CIWMB Press Room Archives

State Creates More Tire Recycling Opportunities: Grants and services help businesses expand markets for old tires

SACRAMENTO--The California Integrated Waste Management Board today awarded more than $2.8 million in non-cash grants to nearly two dozen tire-derived product businesses to help them increase market capacity and improve manufacturing efficiencies.

The grants will also help these businesses divert more waste tires away from California landfills and increase their use in new products and technology applications.

“Our state’s tire recycling effort benefits immeasurably from the success of private enterprise,” said Board Chair Margo Reid Brown. “We want to help these partners expand reuse of scrap tires in the marketplace and spread the environmental benefits of using tires to create new products and support clean technology.”

The grants are part of the Board’s Tire-Derived Product Business Assistance Program, which is designed to increase demands for tire-derived products made from recycled tire rubber, foster new technologies and expand the use of waste tire materials. The key component to this program is expert technical and consultative assistance to tire-derived product businesses.

Like many other businesses, tire-derived product manufacturers have been adversely impacted by the economic downturn. Many companies have had product orders reduced or cancelled all together.

Tire-derived products are used for playground safety mats, sidewalks, pathways, athletic track and field resurfacing, and for landscaping projects using bark and mulch made from shredded tires. To help boost the use of this tire material, the Board since 2005 has awarded $18 million in grants to cities and counties for tire-derived product projects, as part of an ongoing effort to promote innovative new uses for the 44 million waste tires generated each year in the Golden State. The Board has set a goal to increase the state’s tire recycling rate from its current level of 70 percent to 90 percent by 2015.

In May 2008, the Board approved Manex Consulting of San Ramon as the contractor to manage and administer this innovative tire assistance program. Under the grants, Manex will provide a variety of consulting and advisory services, including: market research, strategy, operations/process optimization, quality systems, safety programs, certifications, product testing and product formulation.

All eligible applicants for this grant program must be for-profit California-based tire-derived product businesses, or demonstrate a commitment to produce products made from recycled 100 percent California-generated waste tires.

The maximum grant award is $175,000 with no matching requirement. Grant amounts were determined by Board staff based on the business category and the amount of passenger-tire equivalents (actual tires or tonnage) that were diverted by that business in the previous calendar year.

Today’s grants were approved for the eligible applicants listed below:

Grantee Name	County	General	Technical	Marketing	Testing	Total
Ag Link/Golden By-Products	Merced	$175,000				$175,000
B.A.S. Recycling	Riverside		$70,000	$30,000		$100,000
Crossfield Products Corp	Los Angeles	$45,000	$45,000	$65,000	$20,000	$175,000
Deccofelt Corp	Los Angeles			$10,000	$40,000	$50,000
Eco-Blok, LLC	Ventura			$45,000	$10,000	$55,000
Holz Rubber Co., Inc.	San Joaquin	$10,000	$26,000			$36,000
Hyperseal, Inc.	Riverside	$35,000	$35,000		$30,000	$100,000
Kirkhill Mfg. Co	Los Angeles	$40,000	$65,000	$30,000	$40,000	$175,000
Safe Guard Surfacing	Los Angeles	$62,000	$48,000	$45,000	$20,000	$175,000
MBTechnology Corp	Fresno		$15,000	$17,500	$67,500	$100,000
Millenium Molding, Inc.	Riverside	$10,000	$20,000	$125,000	$20,000	$175,000
Modular Rubber Drains	Tulare	$10,000	$40,000	$90,000	$35,000	$175,000
Progressive Design Playgrounds	San Diego			$29,749		$29,749
Rubbersidewalks, Inc.	Los Angeles	$20,000		$29,700		$49,700
Rubber Wholesalers, Inc.	Los Angeles	$50,000		$79,000	$46,000	$175,000
Shamrock Recycling	San Joaquin	$60,000		$45,000		$105,000
Spectraturf	Riverside	$25,000		$30,000	$35,000	$90,000
Super Trap, Inc.	Riverside	$106,500		$40,000	$28,500	$175,000
Swisstrax Corp.	Riverside	$25,000	$40,000	$80,000	$30,000	$175,000
TotTurf by Robertson Industries	Contra Costa	$70,000		$30,000		$100,000
U.S. Rubber Recycling, Inc.	San Bernardino	$25,000	$25,000	$40,000	$85,000	$175,000
USSA, Inc.	Orange	$37,500		$32,500	$30,000	$100,000
West Coast Rubber Recycling, Inc.	San Benito	$55,000		$77,000	$43,000	$175,000
Total		$861,000	$429,000	$970,449	$580,000	$2,840,449

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is the state's leading authority on recycling and waste reduction. It promotes reducing waste whenever possible, managing all materials to their highest and best use, and protecting public health and safety and the environment.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is one of six boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).

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