Types of Tires as Feedstock
A four-category reference table for waste tyre feedstock — automobile, off-road, specialty, and OTR (Off-The-Road) tyres — showing typical weight ranges, construction characteristics, and where each category is available in India.
| Category | Types | Weight per Tire | Key Characteristics | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automobile Tires | Passenger vehicles, SUVs, buses, small trucks | 6-50 kg | Radial construction, steel belts, higher natural rubber in bus tires | Most abundant in urban areas |
| Off-Road Tires | Tractors, agricultural implements, construction equipment | 50-200 kg | Bias-ply construction, higher natural rubber content, thicker sidewalls | Agricultural and construction regions |
| Specialty Tires | Aircraft, racing, industrial forklifts, mining | Varies widely | Specialized compounds, high performance requirements | Limited, specialized sources |
| OTR (Off-The-Road) | Mining trucks, earthmovers, port equipment | 500-5,000+ kg | Massive size, very high natural rubber content, steel and fabric reinforced | Mining regions, ports |
Beyond definitions
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How to read this table
- Each row is one tyre category; the columns provide types, weight range, key characteristics for recycling, and typical availability by region/source.
- Weight per tire is important for logistics planning (how many tyres per truckload) and shredder sizing.
- Key Characteristics describe the properties most relevant to recycling process selection and output quality.
About this table
Waste tyre feedstock is not a homogeneous material. Different tyre categories vary substantially in weight, rubber composition, steel content, and construction type — and these differences affect processing economics, equipment selection, and output yield in a tyre recycling plant. This table covers the four main feedstock categories a tyre recycler will encounter.
Automobile tyres — passenger cars, SUVs, buses, and small trucks — are the most abundant category in urban India, ranging from about 6 kg for a passenger car tyre to 50 kg for a bus tyre. Most automobile tyres use radial construction with steel belt reinforcement. Bus tyres (used in city and intercity transport) are particularly valuable as feedstock because they contain a higher proportion of natural rubber than passenger car tyres, producing better-quality crumb rubber and higher reclaimed rubber output. Urban scrap dealers and transport fleet operators are the primary collection point for this category.
Off-road tyres — agricultural tractors, farm implements, and construction equipment — weigh 50–200 kg each and are predominantly bias-ply construction (multiple fabric plies at an angle, rather than radial steel belts). They contain a higher natural rubber content than automobile tyres and have thicker sidewalls. They are available primarily from agricultural regions and construction equipment depots. The weight and size of these tyres means they require specialised handling equipment for shredding that can manage the larger piece dimensions. Specialty tyres (aircraft, racing, industrial forklift) vary widely in weight and composition — generally limited in availability and requiring specialised processing for some types. OTR (Off-The-Road) tyres from mining trucks and earthmovers can weigh 500 to over 5,000 kg each. Their very high natural rubber content makes them attractive for reclaimed rubber production, but the sheer scale of these tyres requires industrial shredding equipment designed for that weight class — most small tyre recycling plants cannot handle OTR tyres without specific equipment investment.
Key insights
- Automobile tyres are the most abundant feedstock category in urban India — a plant within 75–100 km of a major city has reliable access to this stream through scrap dealers and fleet operators.
- Bus tyres contain higher natural rubber content than passenger car tyres — a recycler with access to a segregated bus tyre stream will produce better-quality crumb rubber and reclaimed rubber than one processing mixed automobile tyres.
- OTR tyres require heavy-duty shredding equipment specifically sized for their weight class — most standard crumb rubber plant shredders cannot process mining truck tyres without significant equipment upgrades.
- Off-road (agricultural) tyres' bias-ply construction and higher natural rubber content make them valuable for reclaimed rubber production — plants near major agricultural regions should prioritise access to this stream.
Methodology & sources
Weight ranges and characteristics are based on standard industry data for waste tyre categories in India as of 2024. Natural rubber content varies by tyre type and manufacturer; the characterisations shown are typical values. Actual feedstock availability in any region depends on local vehicle fleet composition, tyre replacement rates, and scrap collection infrastructure.
Related data tables
Material Bulk Density for Storage Calculations
Bulk density values for five tyre-derived materials — whole tyres, shredded chips, crumb rubber, fine powder, and reclaimed rubber sheets — used to convert mass-based storage requirements into volume-based storage area calculations.
Physical and Chemical Properties of Waste Tires
Nine physical and chemical properties of waste tyres with their recycling significance — covering hardness, density, tensile strength, rubber content, steel content, textile fibres, carbon black, sulfur, and zinc oxide.
Tyre Size and Weight Comparison
Physical dimensions (diameter and width in inches) and weight ranges for the three main tyre classes — passenger car, truck, and OTR (Off-The-Road) — used for shredder sizing, feedstock logistics planning, and storage calculations.