What happens when a tire is no longer usable? Where does it go? Join Into the Outdoors Adventure Team as we investigate sustainable solutions for scrap tires.

Every year over 300 million tires are discarded in the US. In the past, they were thrown into landfills or dumped illegally. That’s a lot of waste! But today there are many ways scrap tires can be reused or recycled. The ITO Adventure Team travels to Michigan, Colorado and Minnesota to learn how scrap tire disposal is being managed. We learn why illegal dumping is hazardous to human health and the environment.

In Minnesota, we learn about Tire-Derived Aggregate (TDA). It’s durable, light-weight, permeable, and can be used in a variety of engineering and construction applications. It prevents frost heaving, solves sinking soil issues, and can even be used to help clean storm-water contaminants.

In Michigan and Colorado, we discover several other products made from scrap tires. Tires can be shredded into different sizes for use as landscaping, molded products, road coverings, and more. It can also be processed into Tire-Derived Fuel, which provides even higher BTUs than coal.

Sometimes environmental issues feel like mountains, but with creative ideas and working together, we can make a difference! If we can find sustainable solutions for a material like tires…what other environmental solutions can we come up with?!

Full Video

Classroom Videos

Sustainability, Engineering and Tires

Scrap Tires, A Waste Material No Longer

Classroom Assets

Tires 2 Lesson Plan

Scrap Tires, A Waste Material No Longer

Related Content

Savvy Sustainability

So what exactly is this "sustainability" stuff? Discover the answers by watching the four parts of this science show and reading the information below. And to take this...

Meet the Meat

Join our adventure team as they dive into the science and real life farming practices of Wisconsin’s beef industry. From nutrition to cooking, they explore fun and...

The Forest Products Lab

From mass timber buildings to bioenergy from wood waste, explore the innovative ways forest products are being used to combat climate change and support healthy...

Soybean Savvy

Did you know that soybeans are actually native to Asia, where they’ve been grown and eaten for over 5000 years? Discover this and more by watching the four Parts of...

Ripples in the Forest

So what makes a forest ecosystem dynamic and sustainable? Discover the answers by watching the four parts of this science show and reading the information below. And to...

Searching For Sustainability

This 70-minute documentary explores the challenges and solutions we face in our collective search for sustainability. Full VideoClassroom VideosSearching For...

Positive Impact: Embracing Renewable Energy

In this episode of Into the Outdoors, Adventure Team members Zach, Aubrey, Chloe and Charlie explore the changing energy industry and how some organizations are leading...

Women Reshaping Conservation & Hunting

Why are women becoming the fastest growing segment of hunters in America today? Their reasons for breaking the stereotype image of men in blaze orange range from...

CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND FOREST STEWARDSHIP

Explore how sustainable forest management helps forests adapt to climate change while maintaining biodiversity and supporting local communities. Join the adventure team...

Into National Marine Sanctuaries

The earth's oceans are home to thousands of species of marine life, from tiny plankton to enormous humpback whales. The Great Lakes' contain more than six thousand...

Thank you, Partners!