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EcoTek Upcycles
What makes EcoTek technology environmentally friendly is not only the process used to create the products, but also the fact that the products are upcycled.
To better understand this, it is important to know about other forms of material reintegration and how they compare to upcycling.
While all forms of material recovery are better for the environment than doing nothing, they are not all the same. Recovery is a process of taking material and converting it to energy, usually through incineration. This is the primary method of disposing of ELTs today, but it does not fully utilize the materials in a tire. Recycling is another method of material recovery that focuses primarily on breaking down materials and converting them into products that are inferior to the original product. The most common example of this for ELTs is pyrolysis. Although it is a novel idea, it can be expensive and the resulting material is of inferior quality.
Upcycling differs from energy recovery or recycling in that it takes materials such as ELTs and instead of creating an inferior product, the process creates a product of equal or greater value.
Current
Situation
Yearly Disposal
30 million
In Korea, 30 million (380,000 tons) end-of-life tires are thrown away every year.
Yearly Accumulation
15 million
50% of tires are incinerated, with the remainder sent to landfills or buried. That leaves 15 million tires in annual accumulation.
Years Observed
12
This graph represent the accumulated impact if we do nothing for the next 12 years.
Decomposition Rate
50-80 years
Tires have a decomposition rate of 50-80 years or more. These tires do not completely decompose, but instead become smaller pieces that still have a negative impact on the environment.
Final Accumulation
180 million
If nothing is done, the total accumulation of tires of the next 12 years would be 180 million tires or approximately 17 million tons.
EcoTek
Proposition
Current Rate of Accumulation
15 million
50% of tires are incinerated, with the remainder sent to landfills or buried. That leaves 15 million tires in annual accumulation.
Adjusted for EcoTek Proposition
5 million
EcoTek's proposal, by reintegrating ELTs into the supply chain, could reduce the number of accumulated tires from 15 million to 5 million by the year 2035.
Reduction Rate
67%
This reduction rate ultimately represents a 67% reduction in ELTs.
Rate Per Lane Kilometer
450 Tires
For every lane kilometer of road built, more than 450 tires can be returned to the supply chain. EcoTek's solution could have an unprecedented impact.
EcoTek
EcoTek Can Help
12 years
This plan is expected to be realized by the year 2035.
67%
This reduction rate ultimately represents a 67% reduction in ELTs.
450 Tires
For every lane kilometer of road built, more than 450 tires can be returned to the supply chain.