TDP Catalog

surface. Pour-in-place products only qualify for CalRecycle grants if they are made with buffings from processors or ground rubber derived from California waste tires. In general, ground rubber is used in the base layer of pour-in-place surfacing while buffings tend to be used in the surface layer. Pour-in-place surfacing generally satisfies the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for wheelchair accessibility, and given its bound state, is less vulnerable to concerns about fire and other health and safety factors. Partly for this reason, it has been suggested by stakeholders that the overall market for pour-in-place playground surfacing may exceed loose-fill playground surfacing over the long term, especially as new ADA test methods come into play. Its primary disadvantage is cost, and this may limit the recovery of this market segment over the short term due to municipal budget cutbacks. As noted above, demand for buffings produced by retreaders has declined markedly in the past couple years, possibly as a result of reduced demand for products using the material, such as pour-in-place surfacing. Tiles compete with pour-in-place products in many markets and sales may be growing at the expense of pour-in-place in some cases. In 2012, about 18.6 million pounds of ground rubber, derived from about 1.3 million passenger tire equivalents, were used to produce molded and extruded products, a 28 percent increase in the estimated volume over 2011. In this application, ground rubber generally in the 10- to 30-mesh range, but sometimes higher mesh sizes, is combined with urethane and other materials, including recycled plastics in some applications. A wide range of products are produced in California, including playground and other tile products, flooring, mats, wheelchair transition ramps, drainage channels, erosion control devices, traffic control devices, wheel stops, roofing materials, underlayment, sealants, and more. Although higher mesh material is now available in California, the use of California tires in the production of more premium molded and extruded products in California may still be somewhat limited by low production capacity to produce fine rubber powders with particle sizes of 80-mesh or even 200- to 300-mesh. Several new producers of “very fine” ground rubber have emerged nationwide, and one firm in California is now specializing in production of fine ground rubber. Product applications include industrial machine parts such as gaskets, hoses, and insulation; reflective paints; and potentially use in the production of new tires. Opportunities for expansion of this market category are largely in the feedstock conversion and new product development category, and may likely involve incremental increases of relatively high-value products that command a higher price in the marketplace. Generally, depending on the product, technology and other factors, manufacturers may benefit from one of three potential drivers: Molded and Extruded Products

 Potentially reduced raw material costs by substituting ground rubber for higher-priced virgin rubber, plastic, or other raw materials;

 Enhanced product performance due to the beneficial qualities of rubber in some product applications; and/or

 Enhanced marketing opportunities leveraging green marketing opportunities, for example in the green building arena.

Contractor’s Report to CalRecycle

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