California Waste Board Sponsors Tire Recycling Technology Competition

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is sponsoring the “Tire-Derived sustainable building product design competition,” presented by the California Exposition and State Fair. The competition provides companies and individuals with an opportunity to create and design innovative products using waste tires that would otherwise end up in California landfills.

“In 2002, California generated 33.5 million waste tires,” said Rosario Marin, chair of the California Integrated Waste Management Board. “Fortunately, about three quarters of those tires were diverted to constructive uses, but 8.4 million tires were shredded and disposed of in our state’s landfills. Our goal is to turn every used tire into a viable and useable product.”

The design competition is focused on encouraging companies and individuals to develop prototypes of building or landscape products that are designed and crafted with tires, crumb rubber, and/or other tire-derived materials from California’s waste stream. The desired outcome of this competition is to create constructive ways to use waste tires and to develop markets for the new products.

Entry into the competition is free and open to individuals, groups, students, inventors, or companies who reside in California. Completed entry forms must be postmarked or entered on-line by June 24, 2005, and actual, physical entries will be due at the California State Fair between July 5 -15, 2005. 

Submission requirements include a drawing, rendering, or comp of product prototype, a description that follows the requirements of the evaluation criteria including the industry application, the percent of recycled material used, and the projected cost of production.  Entry must also include an actual prototype, sample or model of the product (scale versions are acceptable).

Awards will be given in two divisions: individuals and groups.  Rosettes will be awarded in each category and include Best New Household Product, Best New Residential Building Construction Product, Best New Industrial Product, Best New Commercial Building/Construction Product, Best New Landscape Product, Best New “California Beach” Application - Playground/Playscape Environments, Best New Environmental Management Systems in Coastal Areas, Best Improvement on Existing Recycled Tire Derived Product, Best Other Product(s), Best Individual, Best Group or Company, and Best of Show.

All Best of Class, Best of Division, and Best of Show entries will receive assistance in marketing their product from The California Integrated Waste Management Board.  All award-wining entries will be showcased and promoted at the 2005 California State Fair August 12 - September 5, 2005, on the California State Fair website, the California Integrated Waste Management Board’s website, in industry magazines, and through a national press release.

For more information, or to enter the competition, go to www.itsgoodforcalifornia.com  or www.bigfun.org.