The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) has created an "ad hoc" tire industry committee to identify new markets for coarse rubber.
"Efforts to find new uses for the nearly 300 million scrap tires generated annually in the United States have met with great success over the past decade," say RMA officials.
Nearly 218 million scrap tires -- 77% of all scrap tires generated -- went to end use markets in 2001, according to RMA statistics.
"Among the challenges the new industry committee will face to expand coarse rubber markets is to fight a number of myths about recycled rubber.
"The committee wants to dispel these myths by collecting information on where this material is being used, how it is used and its safety benefits."
