# LCA as a Tool for the Environmental Management of Car Tire Manufacturing
## 2 Life Cycle of a Car Tires
### The End of Life Management  
Car tires are the largest source of post-consumer rubber products. For years, however, the number of tires withdrawn from use has increased, causing a negative impact on the environment. However, nowadays, the application of the principles of sustainable development implies a new approach to waste using environmentally friendly concepts, and it is necessary to re-evaluate the possibilities of managing this waste in order to increase its use and reduce the amount that requires disposal or storage. To this end, a waste hierarchy should be followed, focusing on reuse, recycling, and recovery, and disposal should be interpreted as the last available option corresponding to the highest level of loss and change in resources. The disposal of used tires is a global environmental problem due to the large number of tires produced each year; according to ETRMA, around 3.4 million tons of used tires are produced in Europe annually. There are three main lines of action aimed at solving the problem of used tires: extension of service life through increased durability and retreading, material recycling, and energy recovery. A certain number of tires can also be used in full [22; 23; 24].  
Due to their durability, used tires constitute nuisance waste and should be used industrially. They do not degrade in the environment within 100 years. They must not be left in landfills because their accumulation in large quantities is a fire hazard. Recycling tires is a difficult process due to their composition and construction. In addition to rubber, they contain textile and steel cords that must be properly separated. Used tires that are no longer suitable for retreading are waste. Therefore, they should be managed in an environmentally safe manner. For this purpose, the most frequently used methods are the ones involving product or material recycling. Whole, compressed, or cut worn tires have many applications, including their shape, material characteristics, and ability to absorb impacts or noise are used [22; 25]. Used car tires can be also used by burning them in cement plants or other energy installations. The obtained heat is used in many technological processes, e.g., for burning clinker in cement kilns. The calorific value of rubber can be compared to the calorific value of coal. The use of used tires as fuel in the production of cement is considered a waste-free method of managing large amounts of this type of waste, because the tires burn completely without slag or ash remains. The metals contained in the tire permanently adhere to the clinker, improving its properties [26].  
The adoption of three directives by the European Parliament, Landfill 1999/31/EC, End-of-Life Vehicle 2000/53/EC, and Waste Incineration 2000/73/EC have had a major impact on the management of used tires in the EU. The Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC introduced a ban on the disposal of whole used tires from July 2003, and from July 2006, on shredded tires. Moreover, it obliges the member states to create conditions enabling the implementation of this intention. The End-of-Life Vehicle Directive 2000/53/EC requires tires to be removed from vehicles prior to scrapping. The third of the Waste Incineration Directive 2000/73/EC obliges cement plants that use tires as a supplementary fuel to obtain lower limits for the pollutant content in the waste gases [27].  
The issues of post-consumer management are more often being considered when analyzing all the earlier stages of the life cycle. Tire manufacturers should, as much as possible, prevent or reduce waste and harmful negative impacts on the environment, not only during the production of tires but also after their end of life [28].