During the kick-off of Canada’s 20th annual Waste Reduction Week, Western Rubber Products (WRP) in Delta British Columbia, a division of Liberty Tire Recycling, celebrated the ongoing success of their B.C. service model, which recycles over five million tires annually and repurposes them into new and diverse consumer products – contributing to Canada’s circular economy. Over the last several months, WRP has recycled the 100-millionth tire in the province, a milestone recognized today with industry stakeholders, local government representatives, partner businesses, and employees at the company’s long-time headquarters in Delta.
As the largest recycler of scrap tires in B.C., WRP has been safely serving every part of the province sustainably and reliably for over three decades. Working under Tire Stewardship BC in compliance with the B.C. Recycling Regulation, the company has been the province’s primary collector and recycler of used tires since 1989, with exceptional customer service. WRP ensures expert handling of every type of car and truck tire, as well as other varieties, ranging from off-road to giant, mining truck tires.
“Every tire we handle is a tire that is kept out of B.C.’s landfills and our natural environment, with materials repurposed into innovative, new and useful products,” said Neil Bansal, Regional Vice-President of Western Rubber Products, a division of Liberty Tire. “Our service model ensures we serve every part of the province, even rural areas,” said Bansal, “and as the province’s primary tire recycler, we’re the only company with the critical mass necessary to handle both the pick-up and the processing of millions of tires every year at the end of their roadworthy life.”
Product stewards including Kal Tire, North West Rubber, Marathon Surfaces and Astroturf West were joined by Delta Mayor George V. Harvie and Tire Stewardship BC at the event, which included video remarks from Delta North MLA and Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy George Heyman, and Delta South MLA Ian Paton.
“Innovation is at the forefront for WRP as it invests in cutting edge products for repurposed tires and supports the equipment required to get each job done,” said Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation, Ravi Kahlon. “It’s that kind of forward thinking that has also led to it celebrating 100 million tires recycled as part of Waste Reduction Week. This type of initiative leads to a cleaner province and more opportunities for everyone.”
WRP recycles over five million scrap tires every year, employing more than 120 full-time workers at their operations in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. The company also works with numerous trucking contractors to transport tires throughout the province. Recycled products like decorative mulch are in high demand, and different grades of ‘crumb rubber’ are used in the production of residential and industrial rubber mats, athletic surfaces, landscaping and a wide range of other applications where durability is paramount. “We are proud to have a legacy company like Western Rubber Products operating in Delta,” said Delta Mayor George V. Harvie. “WRP’s successful waste reduction model and sustainable practices help us work towards a zero-waste economy.”