California leads the way for recycling

According to CalRecycle, California is one of the leaders of recycling and green jobs in the nation. Rubber Bark™ is a small piece of that great recycling pie. As all you buzzers may know from the blog, Rubber Bark™ has worked with CalRecycle on many projects, and is always their to offer its services when CalRecycle's TDP (tire-derived product grants) come around. We are happy to read, from the November 15th press release below, that CalRecycle, and California in general, is leading the charge to greener living.

SACRAMENTO--As it joins the country in commemorating America Recycles Day 2011, California continues to be a national leader in recycling and waste reduction. Last year the state diverted 64 percent of its waste from entering landfills, nearly double the most recent United States national average, calculated in 2008 at just under 34 percent.

The recycling industry has emerged as a major component of California’s economy, supporting more than 140,000 green jobs. CalRecycle data suggests that recycling our waste creates twice as many jobs as when we dump it in the landfill. The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), which stewards the state’s efforts to recycle materials into new products, applauds the commitment by Californians to protect the environment and preserve natural resources.

“We have boosted our waste diversion rate from just 10 percent back in 1989 to an estimated 64 percent today, and greatly reduced the amount of trash the average person throws away on a daily basis,” CalRecycle Director Caroll Mortensen said. “Through innovative statewide policies, the commitment of local government, a broad-based recycling economy and the enthusiasm of our residents, California embraces America Recycles Day 365 days a year.”

California kept 60 million tons of potential waste out of landfills in 2010 to achieve the equivalent of a 64 percent diversion rate. By comparison, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculates the most recent national recycling rate at 33.8 percent. Californians are leading the recycling charge across a variety of materials:

• As a nation we recycle 58 percent of our aluminum cans, but in California 94 percent of aluminum cans are recycled.
• Nationally, 28.2 percent of the waste in landfills is paper and cardboard. In California, paper and cardboard make up 17.3 percent of landfill material. CalRecycle is working to increase the recycling of many types of organic matter, including paper, food scraps and green waste.
• Since 2005, California has recycled more than 1 billion pounds of obsolete televisions and computer monitors, more than any other state.

Among the initiatives CalRecycle oversees are targets for cities and counties to divert waste from landfills, and programs to encourage the recycling of beverage containers, electronics, used oil, and waste tires.

CalRecycle grants of a different variety

Right now, CalRecycle has a lot of tire related grants that are currently accepting applications for funding. While most of the grants do not directly apply to Rubber Bark™ they are all worthwhile to check out. 

Rubber Bark™ mainly deals with the TDP (tire-derived product) grants, and those applications were due last month, but the ones that are currently open range from TRP (rubberized pavement), TDA (tire-derived aggregate) to waste tire enforcement agencies to get in on the fun. 

Check out more information about the grants and their deadlines here. Rubber Bark™ supports the use of waste tires in all its many forms! 

Auto shops recycling tires on the rise

Interesting news lately on the rubber and tire recycling front. A new study shows that 88 percent of auto repair shops recycle their tires. That's great news for us, that is of course, if they donate (or sell!) the used tires to turn into our great bark. The study, published by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, according to a CNET article, concluded that the efforts by auto shops to recycle the tires helps keep over 300 million tires out of landfills each year. 


However, according to a Tire Review article responding to the findings, said that it's standard practice for shops to recycle, because of environmental regulations. The percentage is actually lower than it should be, if all auto shops were following environmental guidelines, and "when it comes to scrap tire collection and disposal, auto repair shops fall under the same laws and regulations as full-fledged tire dealers. The comparatively few tires these “auto service shops” handle (compared to a tire dealer) represent a very small portion of the 230 million new replacement passenger and light truck/SUV tires sold in 2010, and the hundreds of millions of scrap tires that were processed through to disposal sites last year." 


So what does this mean for Rubber Bark™? Those auto shops that do recycle deserve some credit for doing, well, what they should be doing anyway. However, it also means that many shops aren't following environmental regulations, which is incredibly unfortunate (think of all the tires wasted that could be turned into wonderful bark, or a bench, or a horse stall mat!) We hope that this new information wakes up those shops that currently are not following regulations and consider donating their scrap tires to Rubber Bark™. 

News spot on ABC about tire disposal event

Last weekend, in Fresno, residents were offered the chance to dispose of their used tires for free at a local high school during an event called "Waste Tire Amnesty Event." The ABC news article and video  about the event goes on to note that the tires will be given to a manufacturer to process into rubber mulch and mats.

Well, Rubber Bark™ is that manufacturer! We were very impressed by the turnout of the weekend's event and are looking forward to recycling those tires, giving them a worthwhile second life!

And as the news spot said, two more events are coming up this Saturday at Bullard High School and Calwa Park in Fresno, CA from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., so if you are in the area, and are in need of disposing a few old tires, come by and dispose away!

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint with Rubber Bark's New Tire Campaign

We are on a roll here at the Buzz, with lots going on surrounding our new campaign urging customers who buy a new set of tires to buy a bag of Rubber Bark™ as well. 

Rubber Bark™ Pushes For Sustainability With Every Tire Purchase

BALLICO, CA (April 27, 2011) – With every set of new tires purchased Rubber Bark™, a leading recycled tire product manufacturer in northern California, sees opportunity to invest back into the environment.  Joining the momentum of the green movement sweeping the state and the nation, Rubber Bark™ emphasizes the need for consumers to offset their carbon footprint by buying a 40 lb bag of Rubber Bark™ each time they buy a new set of tires. 

“One bag of Rubber Bark™ weighs about 40 pounds which is practically equivalent to the useable rubber from four car tires,” explains Jana Nairn, CEO of Rubber Bark™. “It is available in seven great colors and one bag will cover five to ten square feet depending on the depth installed – great for a small flowerbed or planter box.”

According to the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board, every year about 30 million new tires are purchased in California, resulting in millions discarded. Regulations require residents to discard of tires properly or else they have the potential to be dumped on the side of highways or thrown in overflowing landfills across the state.

“It’s important for individuals to be aware of and keep their carbon footprint minimal,” CFO of Rubber Bark™ Rob Nairn said. “Buying one bag of Rubber Bark ™ is an easy solution to ensure your tires don’t end up in landfills or illegally dumped.”

Rubber Bark™ is made in a tire recycling facility specifically designed to tear apart used tires and create wire free rubber mulch suitable for playgrounds and landscaping.  Using Rubber Bark™ gives California tires a second, third, or fourth life as a useful product without creating waste.

The concept of buying a bag of rubber mulch along with new tires allows individuals to drive the market in an eco-conscious direction when making an everyday purchase.  If as little as 20 percent of Californians participated in this program it has the potential to greatly reduce the carbon footprint of profuse and improper tire disposal.

Currently, consumers would need to contact Rubber Bark™ directly or visit one of their many resellers to make the purchase.  Distribution through tire dealers is not yet established, however Rubber Bark™ is looking for tire dealers interested in carrying the product as part of this full circle program.

For more information about Rubber Bark™ go to: www.rubberbark.com

Fresno's Delray Tire and Rubber Bark™ Team Up for Green Initiatives

Below is a press release about the two companies and what they are doing to make their businesses green! 

Fresno Tire Retreading Company Ahead of the Pack on Green Business Practices

FRESNO, CA (January 25, 2011) — Many tires in California only have one life. But for Delray Tire and Retreading Inc., located in Fresno, CA, tires can take on multiple lives by first being retreaded and then recycled and reused for other purposes.

Delray Tire, in an effort to be more environmentally friendly with what is seen as one of the most environmentally unfriendly materials —rubber—sought out a company that could dispose of their tires.  Five years ago, they found a partner in Golden By-Products, Inc. and Rubber Bark™, a rubber mulch company, located about 80 miles northwest in Ballico, CA.

“We were just looking for a stable company with good customer service, but the added benefit is knowing that our junk tires are getting a second life, or third or fourth life,” said Delray Marketing Director Matt Mastriano.

With its green practices, Delray has been able to find new uses for its products, such as giving it to Rubber Bark™ to turn it into playground mulch. Mastriano believes it’s important to reuse the junk tires, noting that the Environmental Protection Agency estimates over 290 million scrap tires are discarded every year.

“You can see how important it is to find ways to lower the impact of that number. I think that what we both do, Delray Tire and Golden By-Products, and milk every last bit of life out of those scrap tires,” said Mastriano.

Delray disposed of over 16,000 tires, including passenger, light truck, and medium truck tires last year. It also retreads up to 20,000 tires a year.

“Delray Tires and Rubber Bark™ have created this partnership because we understand the responsibility to be environmental stewards with our companies,” said Rubber Bark™ CFO Rob Nairn. “It’s important to recycle and reuse as many tires as possible.”