Ariz. Rev. Stat. There are currently approximately 30 tire collection and processing centers in the state. Passenger vehicle tires received at collection centers are generally processed into crumb rubber, which is used for highway repaving and consumer products, as described below. Truck tires are most commonly have their sidewalls removed to be used to manufacture carpets. The remaining part of the tires are shipped to Louisiana, where they are converted into boat bumpers.
Crumb rubber is created by shredding tires into pieces one-quarter inch or less in size.
The crumb rubber with the heat from asphalt forms a durable and flexible binder. In 1998, the department expanded the program to use nearly 2.5 million tires. Currently, the program uses about 3 million of the 4.5 million scrap tires disposed of in the state each year. An additional one million tires are converted each year into crumb rubber that is used in consumer products, such as doormats and soaker hoses. The department is not required to use the asphalt-rubber mix, but has chosen to do so because it believes it creates a better product at a lower cost over the life of the pavement.