Mission & Vision
The membership of CATRA (Canadian Association of Tire Recycling Agencies) is made up of tire recycling agencies in the provinces and territories of Canada. CATRA’s mission is to enhance the effectiveness of each Member’s program through the sharing of information, expertise and resources. Its vision is a strong partnership that is committed to a clean environment by enhancing value for its Members and creating a sustainable, positive value for end-of-life tires in Canada.
New! CATRA Annual Report - 2017
TIRE RECYCLING IN CANADA
Globally, an estimated one billion tires reach the end of their useful lives every year. Management of scrap tires in environmentally sound and productive ways continues to be a high priority goal. Various efforts in all parts of the globe are currently underway to address the scrap tire issue and good progress is being made.
Recovery of end of life tires provides a cost-effective and environmentally sound energy for several industries, replacing traditional fossil fuels. It also provides innovative materials to replace other limited natural resources. In many parts of the world, burning recycled “shred” as Tire-Derived Fuel (TDF) is a common practice.
Canada’s geographic character and widespread population has prompted a more diverse approach over the years. Our collection systems and processing technology must be compatible with longer transportation distances, seasonal variations in volume, fewer concentrated urban areas, and smaller number of vehicles overall.
It goes without saying that what goes onto a vehicle must eventually come off, and even more importantly, something must be done with it. When it comes to tires, that involves recycling, and that is CATRA's focus because we are the Canadian Association of Tire Recycling Agencies.
The level of cooperation and collaboration in Canada is truly unique. Growing public support for waste reduction throughout the country has helped to sharpen our focus on recovering and recycling as many resources as possible, from every scrap tire Canadians generate. The emphasis on finding new, value-added applications is expected to strengthen even further in the years ahead.
A Countrywide Effect
Recycling is not new but the number of people joining the effort to improve our use of natural resources and protect our environment grows each year. Canada's tire programs' success is built on the willingness of people to do the right thing with their old tires. Those individual efforts may seem too small to count, but the reality is that whether you are a business or a DIY consumer, your efforts play a huge part in ensuring those scrap tires don't end up littered across our beautiful countryside.
Latest news
Judge gives nod to Nova Scotia’s TDF pilot ...
A Provincial Supreme Court judge has dismissed a request by a residents’ group for a judicial review of the Environment Minister’s approval for the use of tire derived fuel (TDF) at Brookfield’s Lafarge cement...
Ontario: Where to now? ...
In February’s Recycling Product News (RPN), the Executive Director of Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) looks back on the program’s achievements since its 2009 inception amidst ongoing industry speculation on what the future hold...
CATRA is pleased to announce the publishing of its second Annual Report. Our 2017 report focuses on the many ways in which CATRA members have delivered in the three key areas of Diversion, Driving Local Economies, and Supporting Communities.
The Alberta Recycling Management Authority recently announced the appointment of a new Chair to its Board. Caroline McAuley replaces former Chair Bob Barss who completed an 11-year term with Alberta Recycling. Well-known to CATRA members, Bob served on several CATRA committees during his term and m...
CATRA members were saddened by the January 5th passing of Don Blythe who had served as Chair of Tire Stewardship BC (TSBC) since 2007.
Prior to joining the CATRA member as its board Chair, Don had a long and successful career in the tire retail sector that began in 1957. He started his journey a...
The Chair of Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan Inc. (TSS) recently announced the engagement of Brad Colin as its new Executive Director, starting December 11, 2017.
In his announcement, Colin Fraser confirmed that Brad will be tasked with implementing the new TSS Product Stewardship Program (PSP)...
Check out the PROGRAMS page for 2010 to 2016 performance highlights, which are presented nationally and by member province.
With the launch of its new website, a recently formed organization has officially thrown its hat in the ring to become a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) under the Ontario government’s new model to manage the province’s scrap tires.
In a recent interview with Recycling Product News, Andrew Horsman of Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) discussed the wind-down of the province’s current tire recycling program.
In the Q&A, the organization’s Executive Director outlined what will happen to end-of-life tires in Canada’s most populous...
Recycling by province, by tire type (PDF).
Effective September 1, 2017, Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan (TSS) took over operation of the province’s tire recycling program from Saskatchewan Scrap Tire Stewardship (SSTC).TSS is currently seeking an Executive Director for the new organization. Interested parties can che...
Driving New Scrap Tire Markets though Innovation is the focus of the 7th Scrap to Profit Conference to be held October 25-26, 2017 at The Inn at Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.The event is hosted by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), the Scrap Tire Research and Educati...
Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) is excited to announce that after only eight years of operation, its Used Tires Program has achieved the recycling of 100 million tires. If stacked, those tires would be about 36,000 times the height of Toronto’s famous CN Tower!But Ontario’s su...
CATRA is pleased to announce the publishing of its inaugural Annual Report.The report provides highlights of CATRA’s work and accomplishments in 2016, in addition to plans for 2017 and beyond to ensure a sustainable, positive value for end-of-life tires in Canada.Introduced by both...
The new "Be Winter Smart" campaign by the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) is well underway to promote safe winter driving.As part of TRAC’s Be Tire Smart initiative, the new campaign has many tools and expert tips to help keep everyone safe on the winter roads.&nb...
In November 2016, New Brunswick marked the 20th year of its tire recycling program at a celebratory event held in Fredericton.The event was attended by key recycling program partners who were instrumental in achieving the diversion of approximately 20 million tires from the province’s...
A recent study by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has concluded that athletic events in the Netherlands played on synthetic turf with rubber granules do not significantly increase exposure to carcinogenic substances. “This is because the...
Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) offers community grant programs to encourage the use of provincially-created recycled tire rubber products within their province.The final 2016 round of applications to Ontario’s Community Renewal Fund (CRF) closed on November 30, 2016 and OTS is now...
CATRA members continue to show an impressive variety of high value uses in the products created from end-of-life tires in Canada.
CATRA conducts an annual data survey of its member organizations (10 provinces and one territory) to arrive at a nation-wide picture of new tires sold, used tires coll...
The first week of October was a productive time for tire recycling innovators in Canada and beyond.The Annual General meeting of CATRA’s provincial members held in Niagara was immediately followed at the same venue by the bi-annual Recycled Rubber Symposium hosted by the Tire &...
CATRA is pleased to announce that Jeff MacCallum will serve as Chair for the next two years. Taking the reins from outgoing Chair Glenn Maidment, Jeff is a firm believer in the need for responsible environmental stewardship and the reality that the environment and economy can thr...
In July 2016, Recycle NB was pleased to announce the inclusion of bicycle tires and tubes in its tire recycling program.Teaming up with the Canadian Independent Bike Retailers Association (CIBRA), the province’s bike shops, tire retailers, and Tire Recycling Atlantic Canada Corpora...
The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) based in Washington D.C. recently released its statistics on scrap tire management in the U.S.As the national trade association representing tire manufacturers in the U.S., the RMA’s scrap tire management efforts are a reflection of the tire i...
Congratulations to Alberta on the recycling of 100 million tires!This significant milestone was celebrated in Lethbridge on September 9, 2016 at the grand opening of a new playground at Gilbert Paterson Middle School, where rubber crumb made from Alberta scrap tires was used for the pl...
The Rubber Modified Asphalt Conference will take place on November 2-3, 2016 at the Sheraton Ann Arbor in Ann Arbor, Michigan.The event will be hosted by the Scrap Tire Research and Education Foundation, Inc. (STREF), the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), the Rubber Pavements Association (RPA)...
RRFB Nova Scotia has commenced its 20th year of recycling under a fresh, new name – Divert NS!Formerly the Resource Recovery Fund Board (RRFB Nova Scotia), Divert NS recently evaluated and refined the strategic goals of their organization. To emphasize the shift, they are also beg...
Early-Bird Registration for the 2016 Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) Rubber Recycling Symposium is now open. You are encouraged to register soon to ensure that you receive the discounted Full Delegate rate. Alternate rates are also available for Single Day atte...
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) is an international non-profit association representing all segments of the tire industry, including those that manufacture, repair, recycle, sell, service or use new or retreaded tires, as well as suppliers or individuals who furnish equipment,...
UPDATE: The Government of Yukon announced that it will postpone the implementation of its amended recycling regulation, discussed below. For further information, see Yukon's official announcement of July 12, 2016: http://www.gov.yk.ca/news/16-257.html#.V4_ozLiAOkq
T...
The Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment (CCME) is the minister-led intergovernmental forum for action on environmental issues of national and international concern. Its Waste Management Task Group works with stakeholders to achieve greater consistency on key elements...
The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) is the national trade association representing the interests of tire and other rubber manufacturers and importers of rubber goods into Canada, together with rubber recyclers and suppliers whose goods or services directly relate to these in...
For several months media have been reporting that there may be a concern with tire derived products that are part of synthetic turf playing fields. These reports, while originating in the United States, are also being reported on in Canada.There have been numerous independent scientific studie...
The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) has announced that it will partner with Ontario Tire Stewardship for the next biennial Rubber Recycling Symposium.The event will be held on October 5, 6 and 7, 2016 at the Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls–Fallsview Hotel. As it becomes available, more...
GLENN MAIDMENT is the presiding Chair of CATRA, representing the association’s current host province of Ontario. CATRA’s Chair changes every two years, with a representative of each member province fulfilling the position on a rotating basis. In his role as Chair, Glenn...