Liberty Tire Recycling and Bridgestone Americas will highlight the benefits of rubberized asphalt at an Aug. 22 event called "Recycle Akron: 2013." 
The event will be held at the Bridgestone/Firestone facility in Akron (10 E. Firestone Blvd.) and will gather transportation and environmental professionals, civic leaders and policymakers to learn more about scrap tire management in Ohio and rubberized asphalt materials and applications. Speakers will include experts from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Bridgestone, Flexible Pavements of Ohio, Seneca Petroleum and Liberty Tire Recycling.
"States that locally source recycled tire rubber for asphalt projects experience a win-win in terms of waste disposal and longer-lasting, less expensive roadways," said Jeffrey Kendall, CEO of Liberty Tire Recycling. "Rubberized asphalt has come a long way to provide not only a sustainable outlet for scrap tires but to contribute to improved highway infrastructure."
The event’s sessions will cover: Tire Processing in Ohio, Ohio Asphalt Industry Overview on Use of Modified Binders, PG Binders for Use in Ohio, Tennessee Experience with Rubber and Modified Asphalt and Rubberized Asphalt Materials and Applications. Each session will provide an overview of the advantages of rubberized asphalt, from enhanced safety and reduced tire noise to better crack resistance and cost savings, according to Liberty Tire Recycling.
"Bridgestone/Firestone works to ensure that for every new tire we sell in the U.S., another tire that has been removed from use is sent to a valuable purpose," said Tim Bent, environmental director for Bridgestone Americas. "Rubberized asphalt has enormous potential for utilizing a large number of the tires discarded each year for an incredibly important product – lower-cost, safer, sustainable roads."
According to Liberty Tire Recycling, rubberized asphalt is a low-cost, high-performance alternative to traditional paving mixes that reduces dependency on oil and limits carbon dioxide emissions. Added to traditional asphalt, crumb rubber comprises 8% to 22% of the binder and increases tensile strength.
