In a study in 2014 led by John Weinstein, his group went looking for microplastics, which are small bits of degraded plastic that have made a mark all around the globe. Many of the pieces that Weinstein found were from plastic bags and other common single use plastic items but some were black and tubular. At first, he believed they were from fishing nets, but later, he found out that they were actually from car tires.
This may be a surprise to some people since we don’t think of tires being able to cause pollution but they happen to be one of the top polluters in the world. In the 20th century, cars became less expensive and people started to use them more which led to an increase in rubber production. A German chemist, Fritz Hofmann, came up with the first commercial synthetic rubber and by 1931, he industrialized the production of synthetic rubber. Tires today are 24% rubber which may seem harmless but causes environmental impacts such as continued deforestation and fossil fuels need to make the rubbers. On top of that, modern car tires need about 7 gallons of oil to make. Talk about unhealthy for our environment.
But the question still remains: how do tires become the small pieces known as micro plastics? The answer is surprisingly straightforward. When tires roll on the road, friction is created that causes tiny plastic polymers from the wheels to fall off onto the road. These later get washed off our roadways and into nearby water sources and inevitably into oceans. In other words, we need to find a solution for eco friendly tires and fast. Luckily there have been efforts towards finding a safe way to get rid of tire scraps by recycling them into new playgrounds and sports fields. Another way is Goodyear’s concept of putting moss in the middle of the tire which is supposed to soak up carbon dioxide emissions as the car travels. Since this doesn’t stop plastic polymers from falling off onto the road, scientists are trying to spread awareness so more studies are done to find ways to prevent the environmental impact tires have on our world.