A Recycled Tire Swing

Flying through the air on an old tire swing is probably the most fun you'll have recycling. Happily, more than 80 percent of tires are recycled in some way, up from 17 percent in 1990. However, we've still got 290 million scrap tires in landfills or stockpiles, where they create a fire risk. In May 2006 in Nitro, W. Va., tire fires pumped toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene and oil into the air and nearby waterways.

So it's great to recycle a tire, but what do you need to know to swing safely? According to a 1999 study by Scientific Instrument Services, Inc., new tires can off-gas toxic benzene and toluene at high temperatures (225 C or more), but study co-author John Manura notes that older tires aren't likely to off-gas as much at cooler temperatures. However, water pooling in tires can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes bearing West Nile virus and other diseases. And as with any other playground equipment, accidents can happen.

If you're putting up a tire swing, here are a few steps to reduce risk:

*Light truck tires work well, but bigger, heavy truck tires used on semis can cause harm. Avoid steel-belted radials, which can pose cutting hazards.

*Drill drainage holes in the bottom of the tire.

*Use a rot-proof nylon rope to hang the tire from a sturdy limb on a hardwood tree such as oak or ash rather than a softer-limbed evergreen. Or, in a playground, check that the tire swing is hung from chains securely bolted to an overhead support with no obstacles within swinging distance.

*Pad the ground beneath the swing with wood chips, bark or recycled-tire rubber tiles (see below).

*For elaborate and amusing handcrafted tire swings in a variety of shapes including airplanes and kangaroos, see Abundant Earth ($80 and up; www.abundantearth.com).

*To ensure safety, inspect swing sets regularly and always supervise children on playground equipment.

What Else To Do with Old Tires?

Sadly, recycled tire rubber cannot be used to make new tires, though scrap tires can be retreaded, saving 15 gallons of oil over producing a new one. But other reuse and recycling options are many, from tires filled with rammed earth and built into the walls of "earthships" to roofing tiles, flooring and athletic mats. However, a study in the July 2003 Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association found that runoff from tire crumb is toxic to aquatic life for at least the first three months of use. Stephen Lester, science director at the Center for Health, Environment and Justice advises "taking a precautionary approach and avoiding using shredded rubber." Rubber athletic flooring or playground tiles are better sealed and have less exposed surface area, reducing the risk of leaching, but they can still off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when exposed to heat and UV light. To avoid VOCs, Environmental Building News recommends that recycled tire flooring only be used in well-ventilated indoor spaces and outdoors.

Some products:

*Recycled tire flooring can be found at Yemm & Hart (www.yemmhart.com, 573-783-5434) and Dodge-Regupol (www.regupol.com, 866-883-7780).

Resources

To find state and regional tire recyclers, see www.epa.gov