Abstract:

The world’s top four largest consulting firms in their 2022 reports on mining trends, risks and opportunities, all highlighted the rise of ESG to the #1 priority. The pace at which ESG has risen to this top spot is significant. The enhanced environmental focus has shone a spotlight on waste management practices, and investors and other stakeholders are becoming increasingly interested in the way mining companies steward the land.

When you think about the biggest environmental issues with mining – tailings and waste disposal probably come to mind – but what about the mountains of scrap tires generated throughout the life of the mine? What will mines do at remediation time when a solution is needed to remove and responsibly dispose of the tens of thousands of tonnes of tires that have been stockpiled? By that time, it’s a multi-million-dollar problem without a quick solution.

However, finding solutions to recycle ultra-class mining tires is a significant challenge given the sheer size and weight of them. They require special lifting equipment and transportation simply to remove them from a site. For mines to embrace this environmental challenge and plan for the future, the best strategy is one that carefully considers how to handle the scrap tire stockpile throughout the life of the mine. Dave Allan, VP Canada, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, shares some critical considerations for mines embarking on tire recycling and committed to best outcomes.

Tire recycling can take on many different forms, and how they are recycled has evolved a great deal over the years. One solution is shredding and crumbing the tires into tire derived fuel or converting the tire crumb into products such as rubber ground matting for playgrounds. However, this only delays disposal to landfills. Dave shares how solutions at the top of the recycling hierarchy, making the highest and best use of recycled rubber product and contributes to a circular economy, should be considered. By breaking tires down into their fundamental elements - carbon black, steel and petroleum-based products – virtually 100% of tire can be repurposed.

The question is also how to pay for it, as mining tire recycling is not free. Regardless of the chosen recycling method, it is a costly journey from planning to transportation to processing. If there is no regulation, mines can struggle to make the case for capital allocation, and they would have to plan for the spend on doing what’s best for the environment and what stakeholders expect. It’s both a budget shift and a mindset shift. Dave provides a potential solution for addressing this cost throughout the life of the mine, vs waiting until the end.

By demonstrating leadership in this area, there is a chance to generate significant social, environmental and reputational value, but it requires strong collaboration across multiple stakeholders to be successful. With this introduction to successfully embarking on a tire recycling program, mine operators will gain knowledge to begin to build a strategy that aligns with today’s stakeholder expectations.

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Dave Allan