Short answer, YES
If the rubber is vulcanized it cannot be truly recycled. Vulcanized rubber (like in car tires) cannot be melted down and used again. When they 'recycle' it, they're really downcycling it to a lower value product, such as asphalt or playground bedding. Some 'recycled' tires are shredded and burned in coal plants.
Vulcanized rubber will last an extremely long time in a landfill (hundreds if not thousands of years).
Regular rubber, like in rubber bands, can be recycled, but it is rarely economical to do so. Regular rubber will bread down if exposed to sunlight and air. Since neither will be present in a landfill, it will take a very long time to break down as well (but not as long as vulcanized rubber).
Link
No comments:
Post a Comment