___________________________________________________________________________________________ Southern Tire Mart
minimize delays, improve reliability and help our customers operate more efficiently.”
Alongside commitment to customers, sustainability is also embedded in Southern Tire Mart’ s operating model, with tire retreading and responsible end-of-life management playing a central role in reducing waste and maximizing asset value for customers.
“ Retreading delivers benefits from both a cost perspective and a sustainability perspective,” Tom explains.“ The last thing we want is an end-of-life tire ending up in landfill when there is still value left in that asset. That’ s why we have invested in 18 retread facilities across the United States and developed significant expertise in extending tire life.
“ When a tire reaches the end of its original tread life, we’ re often able to restore the casing and return it to service, delivering performance that is close to a new tire. In many cases, that process can be repeated through multiple life cycles. Last year alone, we produced more than 2.4 million retreads, representing millions of tires that were kept in service rather than entering the waste stream.“ Eventually, every tire reaches the point where it can no longer be retreaded, whether because of damage, casing fatigue or fleet specifications. At that stage, our focus shifts to ensuring it is disposed of in the most responsible way possible. We explore a range of alternative uses, including tire-derived fuel and other recycling applications, while continuing to invest in new opportunities for material recovery.
“ One area we’ re actively evaluating is the development of facilities capable of processing end-of-life tires into different grades of rubber that can be repurposed into products such as flooring, mats and other commercial applications,” he elaborates. tlimagazine. com 53