Doing Our Part: Wright Wants to Help Save the Planet

Saving the planet is a big deal!

There are many factors that play a role in the sustainability of the world as we know it. Wright Equipment takes pride in doing our part to save the planet. In this blog we offer a deeper explanation of how we do it and why it’s important. We also explain why we're so proud of our Wright USA Crumb Bumper Plates and how making these products helps reduce our carbon footprint. 

Let's start here.

Over 300 million tires are sent to landfills in the USA each year.  Yep that’s right, 300 million!  With more and more cars on the road, this number is expected to continue to grow for the foreseeable future.  Fortunately, there are some alternative uses for these tires such as: 

• Being burned for energy. - Tires can be burned for energy in a process that involves shredding down and de-wiring the tires before being inserted into what is called a pyrolysis system. This system goes through what we would describe as chemical transitions which break down the tires into carbon black char, steel radials, and oil/gas. The main criticisms of this process are that tire pyrolysis isn't as efficient as burning coal and that it creates the same or more carbon emissions.
• Being used as filler in asphalt. – Tires have been used in asphalt for over 20 years. Initially, using tires in asphalt production was considered a means to get rid of scrap. Today tires are used as asphalt binder to improve pavement performance. You probably do not notice this, but tires can only be a small portion of the actual roadway. In fact, it is only 15% of the asphalt binder and that binder is only 4-8% of the hot mix asphalt. 
• Being used for playground surface and track surface. – Repurposing tires for playgrounds are becoming more popular. You've probably seen it before. It’s the stuff you see flying up around the shoes during the slow-motion shots on Sunday afternoon football. While we've been seeing this on sporting fields in combination with synthetic grass, studies have come out questioning its links to health concerns.

• Being used in making molded rubber parts. – Rubber parts are used in a variety of industries and products. Beyond what's already been mentioned recycled rubber can be used to create basketball courts, shoes, patio decks, mats and tiles, and even fitness equipment. From small components on equipment to products like our crumb rubber bumper plates and ballistic tiles, this is how we help keep tires from ending up in a landfill.

With all the alternatives available, who wouldn't use recycled materials to make products? You're correct! Studies not only show that if the process is made available and easy, people will choose to recycle.  Studies also show that if products using recycled material can be made affordable, people will choose to buy them. 

BINGO!

This is why at Wright Equipment we love our Wright USA Crumb Rubber Bumper Plates so much.  It’s an awesome feeling to know that we can accomplish so much with just one product line at Wright Equipment. 

1. We formulate our bumper plates to be 90% recycled material.
2. We have the capacity to keep 6 million pounds of tires out of a landfill each year. That is over 400,000 tires!
3. We manufacture these bumper plates in the USA (Alabama to be exact!)
4. We are able to provide hard-working Americans with meaningful jobs.

We are able to use our manufacturing talents to make a product that is literally contributing to saving the planet. Because we are so efficient in our production process we are able to make the pricing for these products incredible.  We know there are many import choices out there but we hope more and more will choose to give the Wright USA Crumb Bumper Plates a try! With our crumb rubber bumper plates, we guarantee that you not only purchased one of the most durable bumper plates on the market but you also helped save the planet.