Tire Recycling Revenue Calculator
Estimate the revenue a tire recycling operation can generate from crumb rubber and recovered steel. Useful for scrap dealers and recyclers evaluating batch profitability.
About this calculator
Revenue from tire recycling is calculated using the formula: Revenue = tireQuantity × ((rubberRecovery / 100) × 0.8 × rubberPrice + (0.15 × steelPrice)). Each tire yields two primary commodities: crumb rubber and scrap steel. The rubber term converts the percentage recovery rate to a decimal, then multiplies by 0.8—representing approximately 0.8 lbs of rubber per percentage point of recovery per tire on a standard passenger tire basis—and by the market price per pound of crumb rubber. The steel term uses a fixed coefficient of 0.15 lbs of steel per tire (the approximate steel bead and belt weight in a standard passenger tire) multiplied by the steel price per pound. Summing both commodity revenues and multiplying by tire quantity gives total batch revenue. Note that tireType can shift actual rubber and steel yields; passenger, truck, and OTR tires differ substantially in weight and composition.
How to use
You process 1,000 passenger tires with an 80% rubber recovery rate, a crumb rubber price of $0.12/lb, and a steel price of $0.08/lb. Step 1: Rubber revenue per tire: (80 / 100) × 0.8 × $0.12 = 0.80 × 0.8 × 0.12 = $0.0768. Step 2: Steel revenue per tire: 0.15 × $0.08 = $0.012. Step 3: Revenue per tire: $0.0768 + $0.012 = $0.0888. Step 4: Total revenue: 1,000 × $0.0888 = $88.80. This batch generates approximately $88.80 in material revenue before processing and collection costs.
Frequently asked questions
How much crumb rubber can you recover from a standard passenger tire?
A standard passenger tire weighs approximately 20–25 lbs, of which roughly 65–75% is rubber compound. After removing steel and fiber reinforcement, a well-equipped shredding and granulating line can recover 15–18 lbs of crumb rubber per tire. Recovery rates expressed as a percentage in this calculator represent the efficiency of that separation process. Higher recovery rates require more sophisticated equipment, such as cryogenic granulation, but yield finer, higher-value crumb rubber suitable for sports surfaces and rubber-modified asphalt.
What are the main end markets for crumb rubber from tire recycling?
The largest market for crumb rubber is synthetic turf infill used in sports fields and playgrounds, which consumes millions of pounds annually. Rubberized asphalt is another major application, improving road durability and reducing road noise. Crumb rubber is also used in molded products such as flooring tiles, playground surfaces, and automotive parts. Emerging applications include pyrolysis to produce recovered carbon black (rCB) and tire-derived fuel (TDF), which can command premium prices when commodity markets are favorable.
Why does tire type matter when calculating recycling revenue?
Passenger, light truck, commercial truck, and off-the-road (OTR) tires differ enormously in weight, rubber content, and steel content. A single OTR mining tire can weigh over 1,000 lbs, while a passenger tire averages around 22 lbs. The fixed steel coefficient of 0.15 in this calculator is calibrated for passenger tires; commercial tires have significantly higher steel belt fractions. Using the correct tire type input adjusts yield assumptions and prevents large overestimates or underestimates of revenue, particularly when processing mixed fleets of vehicles.