Turning tyres into objects of fun can fight pollution

By: Rohan Shah

The wheel helped further civilisation. Waste rubber tyres, though, could end it.


The numbers are truly alarming: in 2016-17, India produced 127.34 million tyres. An expert, writing for Tyre Asia, noted that as much as 60% of this volume may have ended up in a landfill somewhere or incinerated. And worldwide, every motorist is discarding at least one tyre, every year.

Pollution caused by discarded end-of-life tyres is now a full-fledged environmental crisis. And as the number of cars on our roads increase, this crisis is not showing any signs of dissipating. Burning of tyres, studies have shown, causes emissions of sulphur dioxide to rise tenfold and emissions of dust particles to increase 500%.

Then, there is the problem of microplastics - plastics that slip into oceans in the form of small particles, as opposed to the massive islands of trash we often see floating about.

According to a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, between 15 and 31% of the estimated 9.5 million tonnes of plastic being released into the world's oceans each year could be microplastics. Two-thirds of this volume come from washing of synthetic textiles and abrasion of tyres while driving.

But there is a way to win a small battle in this war on pollution - and that's by upcyling or recycling.

Tyre recycling is the process of reusing tyres that are no longer useful. But remember, it's only the tread that wears off. Much of the rest of the tyres is still usable, albeit in various other forms. Also, durability of tyres depend on type of materials and the level of technology that used during manufacturing, along with the conditions they operated in. Since the solution presented here is for seating (see image), durability can go up to many years, depending on the how it is being used because they will not wear out quickly. Besides this, the chairs have been designed to stop the spring action while sitting by using different types of tyre structures.

These things can be transformed into usable products, which can appropriately find their ways into our lives as eco-friendly solutions for seating, storage or recreation. For example, remember those swings made out of dicarded tyres? The trick was to focus on children. The way children use objects to experience an emotion as simple as fun is motivation enough to fashion tyres into innocuous objects as well as amazing components of home decor. Schools could use tyres to create garden furniture for students; we can have simple seating for kids at home. Of course, the discarded tyres need to be properly treated to remove harmful pollutants.

But in the end, what we'll end up with is a low-cost solution that can suit any application along with the comfort of knowing that a mass-manufactured item, made out of non-degradable materials, has been kept away from a landfill.

Of course, a considerable part of upcycling relies on smart design, which must be directed at ensuring the well-being of both man and planet. As an architect, I consider it my moral responsibility that the materials we use, and the products we create, are completely sustainable.

With that philosophy in mind, another plan of action will be to target materials that make up large urban landfills. Incorporation of smart sustainable techniques across the construction sector can ensure it goes hand-in-hand with nature and not against it.

Because remember, nothing is impossible if the dreams of yesterday are converted into conscious effort today, to create a beautiful, green tomorrow.