High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Tire recycling or rubber recycling is the process of recycling vehicles` tires (or tyres) that are no longer suitable for use on vehicles due to wear or irreparable damage (such as punctures). These tires are among the largest and most problematic sources of waste, due to the large volume produced and their durability. Those same characteristics, which make waste tires such a problem, also make them one of the most re-used waste materials, as the rubber is very resilient and can be reused in other products. Approximately, one tire is discarded per person per year. Tires are also often recycled for use on basketball courts and new shoe products. However, material recovered from waste tires, known as "crumb," is generally only a cheap "filler" material and is rarely used in high volumes.