EXHIBIT 4(t)
<PAGE>

NEITHER THIS OPTION NOR THE UNDERLYING  COMMON SHARES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933. THE CORPORATION WILL NOT TRANSFER THIS OPTION OR THE
UNDERLYING COMMON SHARES UNLESS THERE IS AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION COVERING SUCH
OPTION OR SUCH SHARES,  AS THE CASE MAY BE, UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AND
APPLICABLE STATES SECURITIES LAWS

Void after 5:00 pm, New York Time on April 23, 2000.

                                     OPTION

                          TO PURCHASE UP TO TEN PERCENT
                                       OF
                               TIREX AMERICA INC.

     Whereas,  in connection with the industry  recycling  effort of Continental
General Tire Inc. ("Continental Tire"), CG TIRE, INC., a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Continental Tire, has expressed its willingness to explore with Tirex America
Inc. (the "Corporation") the possibility of:

     (a)  the Corporation,  its existing  subsidiary,  Tirex Canada Inc., and/or
          one or more other subsidiaries of the Corporation established for such
          purposes:  (i)  furnishing  Continental  Tire  with all or part of its
          80-mesh rubber crumb  requirements  and (ii)  establishing  local tire
          recycling  centers for the  purpose of  accepting  for  disintegration
          scrap tires from  Continental  Tire's network of independent  dealers;
          and

     (b)  advising  the   Corporation   with  respect  to   Continental   Tire's
          specifications  for  its  rubber  crumb   requirements,   any  further
          development of such  specifications in the future,  the suitability of
          the Corporation's Cryogenic tire disintegration technology for meeting
          such specifications,  and the further development of the Corporation's
          technology in coordination with Continental Tire's product development
          requirements.

     This is to certify that, in consideration of the foregoing,  CG TIRE, INC.,
a corporation headquartered at 1800 Continental Boulevard,  Charlotte, NC 28273,
(the  "Optionee")  is entitled to purchase,  subject to the  provisions  of this
Option, from Tirex America Inc. a Delaware


<PAGE>

corporation headquartered at 3767 Thimens, Suite 207, Ville St.Laurent,  Quebec,
Canada H4R 1W4 (the  "Corporation"),  the number of shares of the common  stock,
$.001 par value per share,  of the Corporation at the price and on the terms set
forth below:

1.   Optioned Shares and Exercise Price

     This Option entitles the Optionee to purchase at a per share price equal to
fifty percent (50%) of the average of the final bid and ask prices of the common
stock of the  Corporation,  as quoted in the NASDAQ  electronic  Bulletin  Board
during the ten business days preceding the date of a notice of exercise given by
the Optionee  pursuant to Section 2, below (the "Exercise  Price"),  all, or any
part of,  the  number of  shares of the  common  stock of the  Corporation  (the
"Optioned  Shares")  which  shall  constitute  upon their  issuance,  on a fully
diluted basis,  ten percent (10%) of the issued and outstanding  common stock of
the corporation.

2.   Exercise of Option.

     Subject to the  provisions  hereof,  Optionee  may  purchase  the  Optioned
Shares,  in whole or in part,  at any time,  and from time to time,  during  the
two-year  period  commencing on April 24, 1997 and terminating at 5:00 p.m., New
York Time, on April 23, 2000 (the "Exercise Period"). Exercise shall be effected
by  presentation  and  surrender  of this  Option  (or any option for which this
Option has been  exchanged) to the  Corporation  at its principal  office with a
written  notice of  exercise  specifying  the number of  Optioned  Shares  being
purchased pursuant to such exercise, duly executed and accompanied by payment of
the Exercise  Price for the number of shares  specified.  The date of receipt by
the  Corporation of the foregoing  shall be deemed to be the "Exercise Date" and
the Optionee  shall be deemed to be the holder of record of the Optioned  Shares
issuable upon such  exercise,  notwithstanding  that the stock transfer books of
the  Corporation  shall then be closed or that  certificates  representing  such
Optioned Shares shall not then be actually delivered to the Optionee.

3.   Reservation and Status of Shares.

     The Corporation hereby agrees that at all times there shall be reserved for
issuance  and  delivery  upon  exercise of this Option such number of its common
shares as shall be required  for issuance  and  delivery  upon  exercise of this
Option,  and that such shares,  when issued in accordance with the terms of this
Option, shall be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable.


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<PAGE>

4.   Fractional Shares.

     Fractional  Shares or script  representing  fractional Shares may be issued
upon the exercise of this Option.

5.   Exchange or Loss of Option.

     Upon receipt by the Corporation of evidence satisfactory to it of the loss,
theft,  destruction,  or  mutilation  of this Option,  and (in the case of loss,
theft, or destruction) of reasonably satisfactory  indemnification,  and (in the
case  of  mutilation)  upon  surrender  and  cancellation  of this  Option,  the
Corporation will execute and deliver a new Option, which shall not constitute an
additional  contractual  obligation on the part of the Corporation,  should this
Option so lost,  stolen,  destroyed,  or mutilated be at any time enforceable by
anyone.

6.   Rights of the Optionee.

         Except as  provided  in the last  sentence  of Section 2, the  Optionee
shall not, by virtue  hereof,  be entitled to any rights of a shareholder in the
Corporation,  either at law or equity. The rights of the Optionee are limited to
those expressed in this Option and are not  enforceable  against the Corporation
except to the extent set forth herein.

7.   Adjustments

     The  securities  purchasable  upon the  exercise  of this  Option  shall be
subject to adjustment from time to time as follows:

     7.1 In the event that the  Corporation  shall  consolidate or merge into or
with another  corporation,  or in the event that the  Corporation  shall sell or
convey to any other person or persons all or  substantially  all the property of
the Corporation,  the Optionee shall thereafter be entitled,  upon exercise,  to
receive the kind and amount of shares,  other  securities,  cash,  and  property
receivable upon such consolidation,  merger,  sale, or conveyance by a holder of
the number of Common  Shares which might have been  purchased  upon  exercise of
this Option for the  Exercise  Price  immediately  prior to such  consolidation,
merger,  sale, or conveyance,  and shall have no other conversion rights. In any
such event, effective provision shall be made, in the certificate or articles of
incorporation  of the  resulting or surviving  corporation,  in any contracts of
sale and  conveyance,  or otherwise so that, so far as appropriate and as nearly
as reasonably  may be, the provisions set forth herein for the protection of the
rights of the Optionee of this Option shall thereafter be made applicable.


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<PAGE>

     7.2 In the  event  that at any  time,  as a result  of an  adjustment  made
pursuant to this Section 7, the Optionee  shall become  entitled to receive upon
exercise of this Option cash,  property,  or securities other than Shares,  then
references  to  Shares in this  Section  7 shall be  deemed to apply,  so far as
appropriate  and as  nearly  as  may  be,  to  such  cash,  property,  or  other
securities.

8.   Registration Rights

     8.1 The Corporation shall once, at the Corporation's  sole expense,  during
the period (the  "Registration  Period")  which  terminates on the later of: (i)
April 23, 2000 or (ii) one year after the last Exercise  Date,  register such of
the Optioned Shares which are not then exempt from the registration requirements
of the Securities Act pursuant to Rule 144 thereof  (whether issued or issuable)
upon the  written  request  of the  Optionee  and in  connection  therewith  the
Corporation  shall,  as promptly as  practicable,  file with the  Securities and
Exchange  Commission  (the "SEC") a registration  Statement on Form SB-2 or such
other  Form as shall be  available  and will use its best  efforts  to have such
registration  statement  declared  effective  and  remain  effective  until  the
securities  registered  thereby  have  been sold and a  prospectus  is no longer
required to be  delivered,  and to qualify the  Optioned  Shares under the state
securities laws of such of the  jurisdictions  as the Optionee shall  reasonably
request  and as shall be  possible  without  undue  burden  on the  Corporation.
describing a proposed offering of the Optioned Shares by the Optionee,

     8.2 If the Corporation at any time during the Registration  Period proposes
to register any of its securities,  either for its own account or the account of
security holders,  other than a registration on Form S-8, or any registration on
a Form which does not permit secondary sales, the Corporation  shall,  each such
time,  give written  notice of such  intention to the Optionee and, upon written
request of the  Optionee  received by the  Corporation  within  twenty (20) days
after the Corporation has given such notice,  include in such  registration (and
all related  qualifications  under state  securities  laws) all Optioned  Shares
(whether  issued  or  issuable)  specified  in  such  written  request.  If  the
registration  involves any  underwriting,  the  Corporation  shall so advise the
Optionee  in the  notice,  and the right of the  Optionee  to have the  Optioned
Shares included in the registration  shall, if the underwriter shall so require,
be  conditioned  upon the  Optioned  Shares being  included in the  underwriting
arrangements  with the  underwriters  on the same terms as other persons selling
common   stock   or   other   Corporation   securities   to  the   underwriters.
Notwithstanding  the  foregoing,  if the  underwriters  determine that marketing
factors  require a limitation  of the number of shares to be  underwritten,  the
number of Shares to be registered for the account of the Optionee may be limited
as the underwriter shall so require.

     8.3 All expenses of registration and  qualification  incurred in connection
with  a  registration  under  paragraph  8.2,  above,  shall  be  borne  by  the
Corporation,  except that the  Optionee  shall bear the fees and expenses of its
own counsel, if any, and the underwriting


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<PAGE>

commission  or discount  applicable  to the  Optioned  Shares  being  sold.  The
Corporation will keep the Optionee advised of the status of the registration and
will furnish such number of preliminary  and final  prospectuses as the Optionee
may  reasonably  request.  The  Optionee  will furnish to the  Corporation  such
information  regarding  the Optionee as may be required in  connection  with the
registration.

9.   Indemnifications

     The following provisions shall apply to any registration  effected pursuant
to paragraph 8.2, above:

     (a)  The  Corporation  shall  indemnify  and hold harmless the Optionee and
          each person,  if any, who controls the Optionee  within the meaning of
          the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") from and
          against any and all losses, claims, damages,  expenses or liabilities,
          joint and  several,  to which they or any of them may  become  subject
          under the  Securities  Act or under any other statute or at common law
          or otherwise,  and, except as hereinafter provided, will reimburse the
          Optionee and each such  controlling  person,  if any, for any legal or
          other expenses  reasonably  incurred by any of them in connection with
          investigating  or defending  any actions,  whether or not resulting in
          any  liability,  insofar as such losses,  claims,  damages,  expenses,
          liabilities  or  actions  arise  out of or are based  upon any  untrue
          statement or alleged untrue  statement of a material fact contained in
          the registration  statement,  any preliminary  prospectus or the final
          prospectus (or the  registration  statement or prospectus as from time
          to time amended or supplemented by the Corporation) or arise out of or
          are based upon the  omission or alleged  omission  to state  therein a
          material fact  required to be stated  therein or necessary in order to
          make  the  statements  therein  not  misleading,  unless  such  untrue
          statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with
          information  furnished  in writing to the  Corporation  in  connection
          therewith by the Optionee  expressly for use therein.  Promptly  after
          receipt by the  Optionee  or any person  controlling  the  Optionee of
          notice of the commencement of any action in respect of which indemnity
          may be sought  against the  Corporation,  the Optionee will notify the
          Corporation in writing of the  commencement  thereof,  and, subject to
          the provisions  hereinafter  stated,  the Corporation shall assume the
          defense of such action (including the employment of counsel, who shall
          be counsel  satisfactory  to the Optionee or such person,  as the case
          may be, and the  payment  of legal  expenses)  insofar as such  action
          shall relate to any alleged  liability  in respect of which  indemnity
          may be  sought  against  the  Corporation.  The  Optionee  or any such
          controlling  person shall have the right to employ separate counsel in
          any such action and to participate in the defense thereof but the fees
          and  expenses  of such  counsel  shall  not be at the  expense  of the
          Corporation unless the


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<PAGE>

          employment  of such counsel has been  specifically  authorized  by the
          Corporation,  which  authorization  shall be given  whenever the party
          seeking  indemnity  has been  advised by its counsel  that one or more
          legal  defenses may be  available to it that are not  available to the
          Corporation or that for other reasons separate  representation  may be
          necessary, to avoid a conflict. The Corporation shall not be liable to
          indemnify any person for any  settlement  of any such action  effected
          without the consent of the Corporation.

     (b)  The Optionee will indemnify and hold harmless the Corporation, each of
          its   directors   and  each  of  its  officers  who  have  signed  the
          registration  statement  and each  person,  if any,  who  controls the
          Corporation  within the meaning of the Securities Act from and against
          any and all losses, claims,  damages,  expenses of liabilities,  joint
          and several, to which they are or any of them may become subject under
          the  Securities  Act or under any other  statute  or at common  law or
          otherwise,  and,  except as hereinafter  provided,  will reimburse the
          Corporation and each such director,  officer or controlling person for
          any legal and other  expenses  reasonably  incurred  by any of them in
          connection with investigating or defending any actions, whether or not
          resulting in any liability,  insofar as such losses, claims,  damages,
          expenses,  liabilities  or actions  arise out of or are based upon any
          untrue  statement  or alleged  untrue  statement  of a  material  fact
          contained in the registration statement, in any preliminary prospectus
          or  in  the  final  prospectus  (or  the  registration   statement  or
          prospectus as from time to time amended or  supplemented) or arise out
          of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein
          a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to
          make the statements  therein not  misleading,  but only insofar as any
          such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity
          with information furnished in writing to the Corporation in connection
          therewith by the Optionee  expressly for use therein.  Promptly  after
          receipt  of notice of the  commencement  of any  action in  respect of
          which  indemnity may be sought against the Optionee,  the  Corporation
          will notify the Optionee in writing of the commencement  thereof,  and
          the Optionee  shall,  subject to the  provisions  hereinafter  stated,
          assume  the  defense  of such  action  (including  the  employment  of
          counsel, who shall be counsel satisfactory to the Corporation, and the
          payment of legal  expenses)  insofar as such action shall relate to an
          alleged  liability in respect of which indemnity may be sought against
          the  Optionee.  The  Corporation  and each such  director,  officer or
          controlling  person shall have the right to employ separate counsel in
          any such action and to participate in the defense thereof but the fees
          and  expenses  of such  counsel  shall  not be at the  expense  of the
          Optionee  unless the employment of such counsel has been  specifically
          authorized  by  the  Optionee,  which  authorization  shall  be  given
          whenever separate representation may be necessary to avoid a conflict.
          The Optionee shall not be liable to indemnify


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<PAGE>

          any person or any settlement of any such action  effected  without the
          consent of the Optionee.

     (c)  The indemnity provisions of this Section 9 shall be in addition to any
          liability the indemnitor may otherwise have.

10.  Officer's Certificate.

     Whenever the number or kind of the securities  purchasable upon exercise of
this Option shall be adjusted as required by the provisions of Section 7, above,
the Corporation  shall forthwith file with its Secretary or Assistant  Secretary
at its principal  office an officer's  certificate  showing the adjusted  number
and/or kind of securities purchasable upon exercise of this Option determined as
herein  provided and setting forth in  reasonable  detail such facts as shall be
necessary to show the reason for and the manner of computing  such  adjustments.
Each such officer's  certificate shall be made available at all reasonable times
for inspection by the Optionee and the Corporation  shall,  forthwith after each
such  adjustment,  mail by  certified  mail a copy of  such  certificate  to the
Optionee.

11.  Notices to Optionee.

     So long as this  Option  shall be  outstanding,  if the  Corporation  shall
propose to take any action that would cause an adjustment to be made pursuant to
Section 7, the Corporation shall mail by certified mail or recognized  overnight
courier,  in all cases with written proof of receipt required,  to the Optionee,
before, or not later than 15 days after, the date on which such adjustment would
become  effective,  a notice  setting forth in  reasonable  detail the action so
taken.

12.  Notice.

     Any  notice  or  other  communication  required  or  permitted  to be given
hereunder  shall be in writing  and shall be mailed by  certified  mail,  return
receipt requested,  or delivered by recognized  overnight courier,  in all cases
with written proof of receipt required, if to the Optionee, at:

                                    CG TIRE, INC.
                                    1800 Continental Boulevard
                                    Charlotte, NC 28273

                                    Attn: Corporate Secretary


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<PAGE>

and if to the Corporation, at:

                                    Tirex America Inc.
                                    3767 Thimens, Suite 207
                                    Ville St.Laurent
                                    Quebec H4R 1W4, Canada

or such other address as a party shall so notify the other party in writing. Any
notice or other  communication given hereunder shall be deemed given at the time
of receipt thereof.

13.  General

     13.1  Any  masculine  personal  pronoun  shall  be  considered  to mean the
corresponding feminine or neuter personal pronoun, as the context requires.

     13.2 This Agreement  shall be governed by and construed in accordance  with
the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America.

     13.3 All section  titles or captions  contained in this  Agreement  are for
convenience  only and shall not be deemed  part of the  context  nor  effect the
interpretation of this Agreement.

     13.4 In computing any period of time pursuant to this Agreement, the day of
the act, event or default from which the designated period of time begins to run
shall be included, unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday, in which
event the  period  shall  begin to run on the next day which is not a  Saturday,
Sunday,  or legal holiday,  in which event the period shall run until the end of
the next day thereafter which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.

     13.5 This Agreement or any section  thereof shall not be construed  against
any party due to the fact that said Agreement or any section thereof was drafted
by said party.

     13.6 The parties  hereto shall execute and deliver all  documents,  provide
all  information and take or forbear from all such action as may be necessary or
appropriate to achieve the purposes of the Agreement.

     13.7  Nothing  herein  shall be construed to be to the benefit of any third
party,  nor is it intended  that any  provision  shall be for the benefit of any
third party.


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<PAGE>

     13.8 The  provisions  of this Option shall be binding upon and inure to the
benefit  of (i) the  parties  hereto,  (ii) the  successors  and  assigns of the
Corporation,  (iii) provided however,  that this Option shall be deemed personal
to the  Optionee  and may not be  assigned  by it  without  the  consent  of the
Corporation.

Dated:  April 24, 1997                           TIREX AMERICA INC

                                                 By  /s/ Terence C. Byrne
                                                    ----------------------------
                                                    Terence C. Byrne, President


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