CalRecycle has approved nearly $5.3 million to help fund road repairs in the Southland and elsewhere using rubberized pavement from recycled tires, it was announced Monday.
The state Department Resources Recycling and Recovery — CalRecycle — approved the funding to improve roads in 43 communities, including Covina, Pasadena, El Monte, San Dimas, Aliso Viejo and Garden Grove.
The projects will make use of rubberized pavement, which combines crumb rubber from recycled tires with traditional materials to create safer, longer- lasting, and more cost-effective road material, the agency announced.
“CalRecycle’s Rubberized Pavement Grant Program is a crucial part of California’s strategy to keep waste tires out of landfills and make use of these materials right here in our state,” CalRecycle Director Scott Smithline said.
“As more communities realize the benefits of this environmentally sustainable option for road resurfacing and repair, California will be able to close the loop within our state and turn millions of additional waste tires into a resource that keeps our people safe, reduces costs, and protects our environment for future generations,” he said.
The legislature created the program in 2002 to promote recycling of the roughly 44 million waste tires generated in California each year. With the help of CalRecycle’s tire recycling programs and grants, 38 million of those tires are diverted from landfills — with many being used for things like road surfacing and civil engineering projects.
— Wire reports