Economic conditions have changed how the U.S. handles scrap tires. Some uses are growing while others are not as dominant as in the past. On the decline due to the current economy is the use of scrap tires as a fuel in cement kilns, reports the Rubber Manufacturers Association. Although more than one-third of scrap tires are used as kiln fuel, over the past few years scrap tire use in cement kilns has declined by about 40 percent because of a slump in construction. RMA's Michael Blumenthal also reports that the conversion of scrap tires into crumb rubber for use in athletic fields and in road asphalt, which represents about one-quarter of the recycling market, has been negatively affected by reduced governmental spending.
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