Lebanon Mission Team Supports Kenyan Environmental Pilot Program

LEBANON, Tenn. - Nov. 4, 2013 - PRLog -- The r3-gear concept for the Flat Tire and ReTread sandals was born in Africa. The people of Kenya have to make-due with what they have, this being the case they have a great since of ingenuity. The original prototype for the Flat Tire was brought back to Tennessee by a missionary. Upon seeing the uniquely simple design and craftsmanship of the sandals we knew that there would be a market for them as well as a way to help the people of Kenya.

The r3-gear name comes from the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle movement to have everyone do their part to preserve the natural resources of our planet. At r3-gear our idea is to make products that have been "Reduced, Reused, & Recycled" to ensure the consumer that materials in our products are either all natural or have been diverted from landfills worldwide.

For every pair of the Flat Tire and ReTread sandals sold r3-gear will be making a 15% contribution of the gross sale price donated to the people of Kenya. By making such contributions we are able to encourage new products to be presented to see if there is a global market and ensure continued economic growth for the area.

At the end of 2003, the United States generated approximately 290 million scrap tires. Historically, these scrap tires took up space in landfills or provided breeding grounds for mosquitoes, rodents, and reptiles when stockpiled or illegally dumped. Fortunately, markets now exist for 80.4% of these scrap tires-up from 17% in 1990. These markets for both recycling and beneficial use continue to grow. The remaining scrap tires are still stockpiled or landfilled, however. In 2003, markets for scrap tires were consuming 233 million, or 80.4%, of the 290 million annually generated scrap tires.

130 million (44.7%) are used as fuel
56 million (19.4%) are recycled or used in civil engineering projects
18 million (7.8%) are converted into ground rubber & other products
12 million (4.3%) are converted into rubber modified asphalt
9 million (3.1%) are exported
6.5 million (2.0%) are recycled into cut, stamped, or punched products
3 million (1.7%) are used in agricultural and miscellaneous uses

Another 16.5 million scrap tires are retreaded. After any retreading has been performed, 290 million scrap tires are generated. About 27 million scrap tires (9.3%) are estimated to be disposed of in landfills or monofills. (Source: Rubber Manufacturers Association, 2004.)

Many scrap tires are exported to foreign countries to be reused as retreads, especially in countries with growing populations of automobile drivers such as Japan and Mexico. According to Mexico's National Association of Tire Distributors, as many as 20% of tires sold in Mexico are imported as used tires from the United States and then retreaded for reuse. Some foreign countries also import tires to be shredded and used as crumb rubber, or to used as fuel. Unfortunately, not all exported tires are reused or recycled. The downside of exporting scrap tires is that the receiving countries may end up with a disproportionate amount of tires, in addition to their own internally generated scrap tires.

We all have experience with scrap tires taking up space and creating a negative environmental impact. Your call to action is to allow the people of Kenya put a tire on your feet to wear as rough and rugged hand crafted sandals, then tell the story of the Kenyan village doing their part for humanity.

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