The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery is giving a whole new meaning to the phrase, “when the rubber meets the road.” The department has handed out $5.5 million to help fund projects that recycle tires to make asphalt.
Heather Jones with Cal Recycle says turning tires into asphalt is no more environmentally unfriendly than the current method of making asphalt and it has a number of benefits. “They kind of lay it over the top of the road that’s already there in a thin overlay, maybe like one or two inches. So, it preserves the pavement that’s there. It’s quieter than your regular, traditional road surface. It also stays black longer, so the striping is more visible, so there’s a safety component," said Jones.
Jones says more than 80% of the state’s used tires were saved from going into the dump as trash last year. 30 agencies received funding including the Kiefer Landfill in Sacramento for a drainage project and the City of El Monte in Los Angeles County for surface street repair.
Funding comes from Cal Recycle’s share of a $1.75 surcharge on tires sold in the state.
