Vacuum cleaner for tire abrasion
Every car ride contributes to the contamination of our environment through microplastic waste: studies hold tire wear responsible for half of the microplastics in our oceans. A London-based start-up has declared war on this dangerous pollutant – with an innovation that is as simple as it is ingenious: a tire vacuum cleaner.
“Every time we brake, accelerate or drive around a curve, the tires wear out due to friction. The particles are dispersed into the air and put a strain on our lungs,”, explain the founders of The Tyre Collective on their website. Once the microscopic particles are on the road, it’s too late. That’s why the emissions must be captured where they are produced: at the source – meaning directly on the tire.
For this purpose, The Tyre Collective has developed a type of particle vacuum cleaner. The device is placed near the point where the tire meets the road. Around 60 percent of all airborne particles can be collected with it. In the next step, the abrasion is separated using simple techniques and can be reused in parts for the production of new tires.
The start-up has already received various awards and funding. Read more about its current development here.