A Rotherham based firm claims its products are proving popular with businesses concerned about waste tyres and landfill. Hytex Airboss manufactures a segmented tyre system that reportedly reduces waste rubber and maintenance costs plus possesses the added bonus of a lower carbon footprint than regular tyres. Each tyre is comprised of individual rubber segments fitted around a metal rim, and the only parts that ever need replacing due to wear are the segments, eliminating the need to dispose of a whole tyre each time the tread wears.

The Airboss tyre system is also promoted as a solution to vehicle downtime due to punctures. Airboss tyre segments can be changed in minutes by machine operators, thus avoiding being put out of action for a long period of time while a tyre is replaced – a frequent occurrence for heavy equipment operators. Furthermore, Hytex Airboss point out that a large proportion of the tyres scrapped each year come from heavy machinery and plant vehicles, and these tyres are often replaced before they are fully worn out because the frequency of punctures they experience reaches an unacceptable level. A user friendly segmented tyre alleviates the pressure placed upon the nation’s scrap tyre stockpile, an important consideration following the UK implementation of the EU Landfill Directive in 1999.