Market Overview
The
US tire recycling market is projected to be valued at
USD 2.1 billion in 2025. It is expected to witness subsequent growth in the upcoming period as it holds
USD 3.7 billion in 2034 at a
CAGR of 6.3%.
Tire recycling involves converting end-of-life tires into valuable raw materials such as crumb rubber, steel, and textile fibers, which can be repurposed into a variety of products like asphalt, playground surfaces, and new tires. The U.S. market is seeing substantial investments in advanced tire recycling machinery that helps streamline this process, reduce waste, and enhance resource recovery. Companies like Gradeall are at the forefront of this transformation, offering innovative solutions that cater to the complexities of tire waste management.
The U.S. tire recycling market has grown significantly in recent years, driven by increasing concerns over environmental impact and the need for sustainable waste management solutions. With over 290 million tires disposed of annually, improper tire disposal poses serious environmental and health risks, including soil contamination, fire hazards, and the breeding of disease-carrying mosquitoes. This has led to the implementation of stricter regulations and the growing demand for efficient recycling technologies.
US Tires Recycling Market: Key Takeaways
- Market Growth: The US tire recycling market is anticipated to expand by USD 1.4 billion, achieving a CAGR of 6.3% from 2026 to 2034.
- Type Analysis: the service segment is estimated to capture the largest market share in terms of revenue by the end of 2025.
- Ingredients Analysis: Mechanical shredding is estimated to capture the largest market share based on process in 2025.
- Product Analysis: Rubber is predicted to lead the market with the highest revenue share by the end of 2025.
- End Use Analysis: Automotive is predicted to dominate the market, holding a substantial share in 2025.
US Tires Recycling Market: Use Cases
- Road Construction: Recycled tires are often used in asphalt mixtures to improve the durability and performance of roads, helping to reduce noise and improve road traction.
- Energy Generation: Tires can be shredded and used as a fuel source in cement kilns or power plants, providing an alternative to traditional fossil fuels.
- Playground Surfaces: Ground-up tires are commonly used to create safe, resilient playground surfaces, reducing the risk of injury while providing an eco-friendly material option.
- Rubber Products: Recycled tire rubber is used to manufacture a variety of products such as mats, seals, flooring, and even new tires, promoting sustainability in the manufacturing sector.
US Tires Recycling Market: Stats & Facts
- According to Gradeall, each year, approximately 280 million tires are discarded by American motorists, which equates to roughly one tire for every person in the U.S. Around 76% of these tires are recycled, which significantly helps reduce waste and fosters more sustainable waste management practices.
- In 2019, the U.S. tire management market achieved a record high, with 76.3% of scrap tires being processed and managed in end-use markets, as reported by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association and referenced by Gradeall. This marks an important step in the country’s ongoing efforts to recycle and repurpose scrap tires.
- According to Gradeall, the U.S. is currently home to nearly 1 billion scrap tires in stockpiles, but this figure represents a 94% reduction since 1990, indicating significant progress in tire recycling and the management of scrap tires over the decades.
- One of the largest tire fires in U.S. history occurred in Winchester, Virginia, in 1983. As Gradeall explains, seven million tires were ignited by arsonists, causing a fire that burned for nine months. The fire released dangerous pollutants like lead and arsenic into the surrounding areas. The location was later cleaned up through a Superfund project between 1983 and 2002.
US Tires Recycling Market: Market Dynamic
Driving Factors in the US Tires Recycling Market
Energy Efficiency Gaining FocusTire recycling markets across the U.S. have seen strong momentum driven by energy-efficiency initiatives. Recycling processes like shredding, pyrolysis, and tire-derived fuel (TDF) production require far less energy compared to traditional tire manufacturing; hence lowering carbon footprint significantly and saving business and industry money on energy costs as well as environmental impacts. As regulatory frameworks tighten around greenhouse gas emissions and energy conservation measures; tire recycling has become essential not only as a waste management solution but also as meeting sustainability and climate action goals of the nation as broader sustainability targets set forth.
Growing Demand for sustainable solutions
Recycled tire-derived products, such as rubberized asphalt, playground surfaces, and construction materials, align with corporate environmental goals by reducing waste and mitigating pollution impacts. These innovations contribute to circular economies and divert millions of scrap tires from landfills. Regulatory mandates promoting eco-friendly waste disposal solutions, along with increased consumer preference for sustainable products, further bolster the recycling market.
The demand for recycling is reinforced by regulations encouraging environmentally friendly waste management practices. Additionally, consumer preferences for sustainable solutions emphasize the growing importance of recycling within industries. As companies increasingly seek environmentally sustainable approaches to their business activities, the significance of recycling continues to rise within the tire and waste management sectors.
Restraints in the US Tires Recycling Market
Recycled Rubber Quality Variability (PDF)
The United States tire recycling market faces significant hurdles due to the inconsistent quality of recycled rubber products. Tires degrade over time, collecting contaminants such as oils, greases, and dirt which compromise its elasticity, durability, and chemical composition; as these contaminants accumulate they wreak havoc with recycled rubber's properties like its elasticity, durability, and chemical makeup limiting use for high-value applications requiring specific performance standards, restricting their usage for low-value applications such as insulation or filler materials instead.
Costly Solution to Clean and Sort Contaminated Tires
Recycling used tires can be an expensive endeavor due to the advanced cleaning and sorting technologies needed for the removal of contaminants from them. Tires exposed to various environmental conditions collect substances such as dirt, oils, and automotive fluids over their lifecycle that degrade rubber's quality, increasing expense significantly when meeting necessary recycling standards for reuse - thus undercutting market profitability as costs can outweigh benefits produced through recycling recycled rubber; consequently, industries may switch for cheaper virgin alternatives with greater reliability instead.
Opportunities in the US Tires Recycling Market
Advanced Pyrolysis for High-Value Byproducts
Advanced pyrolysis technologies present tire recycling markets with great opportunities, transforming end-of-life tires into high-value liquid fuel, carbon black, and gases for use by industries including energy production. Investing in sustainable technologies and reaping government incentives that encourage circular economy practices such as advanced pyrolysis will increase resource recovery while decreasing landfill dependence and environmental harm.
Chemical Recycling for Quality Raw Material Recovery
Chemical recycling processes offer an exciting new opportunity to extract monomers and polymers from used tires for reuse as high-grade raw material sources in manufacturing new tires and rubber-based goods. Their ecological sustainability coupled with industrial demand makes chemical recycling one of the key growth drivers within the U.S. tire recycling sector.
Trends in the US Tires Recycling Market
Tire-Derived Fuel (TDF) Adoption as Sustainable Energy Source
As tire recycling rates in the U.S. rise, so too has adoption of tire-derived fuel (TDF). Industries including cement production and power generation are turning more frequently to TDF as an efficient fuel alternative, helping lower greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously cutting energy costs; this trend aligns with national goals of sustainability and carbon neutrality reaffirming waste-to-energy technologies as valuable solutions.
Recycled Material Adoption in Multiple Industries
Recycled tire materials such as crumb rubber and reclaimed polymers are increasingly being integrated into various applications, from road construction and playground surface development to manufacturing processes. This trend illustrates an ever-increasing need for eco-friendly solutions across various sectors, while initiatives such as the End-of-Life Tire Research Portal (ELTRP) continue to promote innovation by encouraging versatile applications of recycled rubber in U.S. market applications.
US Tires Recycling Market: Research Scope and Analysis
By Type
In the U.S. tire recycling market, the service segment is estimated to capture the largest market share in terms of revenue by the end of 2025, backed by the implementation of EPR programs by the country’s government to make manufacturers and importers take more accountability for their products right from the collection to recycling. Given the present and increasingly effusive concern for the environment and sustainability, tire recycling services are essential for safe collection and disposal, as well as for the recycling of tires.
The regulatory authorities industries and local governments outsource the tire recycling activities due to environmental legislation; thus, creating a market for specialty services. Moreover, the increase in electric automobiles and automobile production also increases the requirement to recycle tires. The second dominant segment of the market is materials, particularly recycled rubber, and steel, derived from end-of-life tires that are on an upward trend due to their usability in different industries. Some applications of recycled tires for other products include being used in asphalt; automotive parts and also construction materials.
By Process
Mechanical shredding is predicted to dominate the US tire recycling market with a large revenue share in 2025, due to its cost-efficiency, scalability, and simplicity. This method successfully dismantles end-of-life tires (ELTs), creating smaller pieces that can then be further processed into valuable by-products like crumb rubber, tire-derived fuel (TDF), and recycled steel products. Attributed to their ability to process large volumes of tires with limited capital investment costs. Shredded products from tire recycling remain highly versatile and consistent across industries including construction, energy production, and automotive repair; thus enabling their continued prominence in the US market.
Ambient grinding remains one of the leading segments in tire recycling today - this category having second place. Mechanical mills can be used to grind tires at ambient temperatures into fine rubber particles that can then be utilized for various applications - rubberized asphalt and sports surfaces are just two such use cases. Ambient grinding offers various advantages over mechanical shredding, including minimal energy usage and producing consistent products of higher-grade rubber material. Although ambient grinding requires greater capital investment upfront, its ability to generate high-value rubber products contributes significantly to its growing prominence in the market.
By Product
Rubber is anticipated to lead the U.S. tire recycling with the highest market share based on product by the end of 2025, driven by its wide array of applications across different industries. Recycling rubber crumbs is growing increasingly popular within sectors like construction, automotive, and sports. It is being utilized in infrastructure projects such as road building, rubberized asphalt flooring systems, and playground surfaces making recycled plastic an attractive material to support sustainability initiatives.
Recycled rubber has seen increased use as industries strive to lower their carbon emissions and comply with strict environmental regulations, leading to its increasing usage in eco-friendly applications such as flooring and athletic tracks, thus further increasing demand. Tire Driven Fuel (TDF) holds second place in the U.S. tire recycling market, following plastics recycling. TDF's rise can be seen through the increased utilization of energy generation in cement kilns and power plants as an energy source - something cement manufacturers and power producers increasingly require in their operations.
TDF provides an efficient alternative to coal and oil fuel sources with its high energy density and environmental friendliness, helping reduce waste while creating sustainable energy solutions. Thanks to regulatory support as well as demand from industrial applications for low-cost eco-fuel solutions in various fields, its adoption continues to expand exponentially.
By End Use
Automotive is predicted to dominate in the U.S. tire recycling market with the highest revenue share due to their extensive use of recycled tire materials in applications designed to improve vehicle performance, such as noise-reducing components, gaskets, and seals, underbody protection materials, and underbody sealants made of recycled tires. Recycled tire material helps lower noise pollution levels on vehicle engines while improving fuel economy and adding safety features - essential features in any automotive manufacturing process.
Since automakers prioritize sustainability while decreasing environmental impacts through reduced environmental impacts on production facilities and decreased waste produced by tire recycling operations - further cementing this sector's dominance over this tire recycling market segment. Construction industry growth is predicted to accelerate quickly due to the increasing use of tire-derived products for infrastructure development, particularly rubberized asphalt and tire-derived aggregate (TDA) made from recycled tires. Recycled tires have many applications including road construction, drainage systems, and embankment construction which provide sustainable alternatives that improve the durability and performance of projects.
The US Tires Recycling Market Report is segmented based on the following
By Type
By Process
- Mechanical Shredding
- Ambient Grinding
- Pyrolysis
- Devulcanization
- Others Process
By Product
- Rubber
- Tire Driven Fuel
- Tire Driven Aggregate
- Carbon Black
- Steel wire
- Others
By End Use
- Automotive
- Manufacturing
- Rubber & Plastics
- Other End-Use Industries
Competitive Landscape
The U.S. tire recycling market is characterized by a diverse and competitive landscape, driven by environmental regulations, sustainability initiatives, and growing demand for recycled materials. Major players include Liberty Tire Recycling, Lakin Tire, and Green Rubber Group, among others, who dominate through established collection networks and innovative recycling technologies. The industry is bolstered by stringent government mandates promoting tire disposal regulations and sustainable practices, fostering opportunities for new entrants with eco-friendly solutions. Competition is also fueled by advancements in pyrolysis, rubber reclaiming, and crumb rubber production, enabling value-added applications in construction, sports, and manufacturing.
Some of the prominent players in the US Tires Recycling Market are
- Liberty Tire Recycling
- Lehigh Technologies, Inc.
- Entech Inc.
- Emanuel Tire, LLC
- BDS Tire Recycling
- CRM
- Lakin Tire
- Genan
- Front Range Tire Recycle, Inc.
- Tire Disposal & Recycling, Inc.
- Other Key Players
Recent Developments
- In October 2024, The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) published its 16th report on end-of-life tire management, highlighting significant progress in tire recycling. According to the report, 79 percent of discarded tires are utilized in end-use markets, marking a 10.5 percent increase in overall usage. This underscores that end-of-life tires are among the most recycled and reclaimed consumer products, surpassing materials such as metal, glass, aluminum, plastic, and paper.
- In December 2024, Trek Bicycle and Liberty Tire Recycling announced the launch of an innovative bicycle tire recycling program across all Trek-owned stores in North America. This initiative aims to provide cyclists with a free and responsible way to recycle their used bicycle tires.
- In January 2024, Liberty Tire Recycling announced the acquisition of "Empire Tire of Edgewater" in Orlando, Florida, and "McGee Tire" in Apopka, Florida. These two companies, prominent in central Florida for scrap tire collection, grading, and hauling, will enhance Liberty's strong presence in the state and expand its reach into the growing central Florida market. Liberty plans to leverage its industry-leading expertise in tire collection, processing, and recycling to build on the successes of Emtpire and McGee.
Report Details
| Report Characteristics |
| Market Size (2024) |
USD 2.1 Bn |
| Forecast Value (2033) |
USD 3.7 Bn |
| CAGR (2024-2033) |
6.3% |
| Historical Data |
2018 – 2023 |
| Forecast Data |
2024 – 2033 |
| Base Year |
2023 |
| Estimate Year |
2024 |
| Report Coverage |
Market Revenue Estimation, Market Dynamics, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors and etc. |
| Segments Covered |
By Type (Services, and Materials), By Process (Mechanical Shredding, Ambient Grinding, Pyrolysis, Devulcanization, and Other processes), By Product (Rubber, Tire Driven Fuel, Tire Driven Aggregate, Carbon Black, Steel wire, Other products),By End Use (Automotive, Manufacturing, Rubber & Plastics, and Other End-Use Industries)
|
| Regional Coverage |
The US
|
| Prominent Players |
Liberty Tire Recycling, Lehigh Technologies, Inc., Entech Inc., Emanuel Tire, LLC., BDS Tire Recycling, CRM, Lakin Tire, Genan, Front Range Tire Recycle, Inc., Tire Disposal & Recycling, Inc., and Other Key Players |
| Purchase Options |
We have three licenses to opt for: Single User License (Limited to 1 user), Multi-User License (, to 5 Users) and Corporate Use License (Unlimited User) along with free report customization equivalent to 0 analyst working days, 3 analysts working days and 5 analysts working days respectively. |
Report Details
| Report Characteristics |
| Market Size (2024) |
USD 2.149.7 Mn |
| Forecast Value (2033) |
USD 4,042.8 Mn |
| CAGR (2024-2033) |
7.3% |
| Historical Data |
2018 – 2023 |
| Forecast Data |
2024 – 2033 |
| Base Year |
2023 |
| Estimate Year |
2024 |
| Report Coverage |
Market Revenue Estimation, Market Dynamics, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors and etc. |
| Segments Covered |
By Product Type (Metal Cutting Tools, Metal Forming Tools, Blades, Others), By Material Type (Tungsten-based High-Speed Steel, Molybdenum-based High-Speed Steel, Cobalt-based High-Speed Steel), By Manufacturing Process (Conventional HSS, Powder Metallurgy HSS), By Application (Automotive Industry, Aerospace and Defense, Construction, General Engineering, Energy) |
| Regional Coverage |
The US
|
| Prominent Players |
Stanford Advanced Materials, COREMARK Metals, Griggs Steel Co., NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP., Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Fushun Special Steel Co., Ltd., Dalian Jingtai Industry Trade Co., Ltd., Vishal Steel Industries, Simply Tool Steel, Geili Machinery Fujian Group Co., Ltd., Nextgen Steel & Alloys, ArcelorMittal, ERASTEEL, and Other Key Players |
| Purchase Options |
We have three licenses to opt for: Single User License (Limited to 1 user), Multi-User License (, to 5 Users) and Corporate Use License (Unlimited User) along with free report customization equivalent to 0 analyst working days, 3 analysts working days and 5 analysts working days respectively. |
Frequently Asked Questions
The US tire recycling Market size is estimated to have a value of USD 2.1 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 3.7 billion by the end of 2033.
Some of the major key players in the US tire recycling Market are Liberty Tire Recycling, Genan, Lakin Tire, and many others.
The market is growing at a CAGR of 6.3 percent over the forecasted period.