Certification for Recycled Rubber

PEFC traditionally works with rubber processors and manufacturers to enable them to achieve chain of custody certification for natural, sustainably harvested rubber. But many of the rubber products that we interact with on a daily basis are actually recycled. If you produce or sell products made from recycled rubber, you too can apply for chain of custody certification.

Redefining “end of life” tyres

Most of the recycled rubber used today comes from end of life tyres. In the past, these worn-down tyres have been difficult to dispose of. They were, after all, designed to be durable. When they were no longer of use people would often illegally dump them on the sides of roads, or into lakes, where they would remain for decades. 

Today, innovations in manufacturing mean that the rubber in these tyres can be broken down, and recycled. The tyres are first shredded, and then frozen with liquid nitrogen. This allows them to be pulverized, resulting in something called crumb rubber, which is the raw material for many recycled rubber products. 

The uses of recycled rubber

Rubber that had spent years being a tyre, rolling over thousands of miles of highway, has many potential destinations after it has been recycled. 

Large-scale farms use recycled rubber as windbreaks to protect their crops. Crumb rubber is a key component in indoor and outdoor running tracks, as well as rubberized asphalt. Recycled rubber softens our play and exercise spaces, protecting from falls as playground mulch and comforting sore backs as yoga mats. Recycled rubber from end of life tyres can even travel full circle, and go right back to being a tyre again.

Recycling this rubber is good for the planet. It not only keeps discarded tyres from polluting our natural spaces, but it significantly reduces the carbon footprint of the final recycled product.

Chain of custody certification for recycled rubber

PEFC supports chain of custody certification for companies that use recycled materials. This is often for supply chain companies or retailers using recycled paper products in their packaging, but it applies to recycled rubber as well. If you manufacture, process, trade or sell a product that uses recycled rubber among its components, then you are eligible for certification. Our approach is flexible, allowing you to certify just one project, a single product, or an entire range of products.

Get recognized for the good you are doing by using recycled rubber, and display the PEFC logo on your products to communicate this to your customers. You can learn more about how chain of custody certification works here.