Sapphire Launches Tyre-based Landfill Engineering Product

Sapphire Energy Recovery has announced the launch of a new product made from scrap tyres for use in landfill as a leachate drainage blanket. Recovered tyre gravel (RTG50) is derived from end of life tyres shredded into 50mm chips. RTG50 has proven successful as a replacement for landfill drainage engineering providing a sustainable alternative to the use of finite aggregates.

Tim Stott, Sapphire’s managing director said: “Sapphire was established to produce an alternative fuel for the cement industry from reprocessed tyre but has now developed the capacity to provide a product to alternative end users. The European Commission considers the engineering use of secondary materials such as RTG50 to represent recovery. This means that the construction of a leachate drainage layer from RTG50 falls outside the requirements of the Landfill Directive and can safely be used in landfill engineering.”

The development of RTG50 by Sapphire constitutes a genuine removal of tyres from the UK waste stream, fully supported by Environment Agency compliant documentation.

Tim explains further: “RTG50 is ideally suited for use as an engineering material. Our ISO 14001 compliant management system ensures a consistent product and our strategically located network of processing facilities assures customers of cost-effective and timed deliveries.”