Choosing Good American Tires And Disposing Of The Old Ones
Tires are a normal component for most things that roll on wheels including automobiles, bicycles and wheelbarrows. Where they are made and what brand they are is important, as some areas of the world produce lesser quality than others. Many in the U. S. Depend upon American tires, but there are other quality manufacturers elsewhere as well.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration maintains a manufacturer database which is available to the public. And, The U. S. Department of Transportation requires that all car tires sold here be stamped with a code indicating where they were made and by whom. Distributors have books that carry this information.
There are three large American-based tire companies and others who also have a significant part of the industry here. Michelin, while based in France, bought out Goodrich in the 1980′s and manufacturers here as well as abroad. The same is true for Bridgestone, which is based in Japan, but purchased Firestone. Denman, Cooper and Goodyear are all American companies, although Goodyear has gone international.
There are more than 450 plants for these products worldwide, producing more than one billion products each year. This industry uses more rubber than anything else. There are five steps to building a tire and different plants or areas of individual plants are used for each. Building begins with compounding and mixing, then the components are prepared and the tire is built. It is then cured and the final finish is applied.
A major problem with tires in the past has been what to do with the old, worn-out ones. They were often discarded in empty fields or thrown by the side of the road. Now, with a more determined focus on the environment, the old rubber is being remolded into other functional things from dog chew toys to shoes to padding for playground equipment. People are finding individual uses for them as well, in their backyard gardens or by offering them to mini bike and go-kart tracks for bumpers, or to school sports teams for obstacle training courses.
When purchasing new American tires, dealers will dispose of your old ones. But for those of you who change them yourselves, there are recycling hotlines and websites to help direct you for proper disposal.
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