Results show most Ontarians agree purchasing recycled products helps combat climate change: eTracks
Oakville, ON – September 9, 2020 – A recently released survey conducted by eTracks Tire Management Systems — a company that works on behalf of tire producers to meet their regulatory obligations of recycling tires — is looking to dispel the myths and misinformation about the tire recycling industry, and with good cause: the survey revealed that only one third (37 per cent) of Ontarians know that, in Ontario, tires are recycled.
Nearly half (49 per cent) of Ontarians do not know whether they’re recycled or thrown into landfills, and a surprising 14 per cent of residents – a whopping 1.5 million adults in Ontario – do not believe tires are recycled at all. In reality, tire manufacturers and automakers are responsible for recycling every tire they sell in Ontario, yet only 32 per cent know this is the case.
The good news is 81 per cent agree that purchasing recycled products helps to combat climate change.
“Regardless of some of these knowledge gaps and myths, it’s encouraging to know Ontarians want to help the environment,” said Steve Meldrum, CEO of eTracks Tire Management Systems. “And while the survey shows that knowledge of the tire recycling industry is mixed, there’s an opportunity to use these results as a tool to change perceptions and help eliminate misinformation.”
Most Ontarians unaware of tire recycling fees
In order to fund the jobs and services in the tire recycling industry, a small fee of approximately $4 per tire is added to the consumer’s cost when purchasing new car tires. This is generally broken out as a separate fee, but can be included in the price of the new tire. However, more than half of Ontarians (55 per cent) do not know there’s a fee. Only one in four (25 per cent) of Ontario residents are aware of the fee and its purpose, while another 20 per cent know of the fee but do not know what it is for.
When asked to choose between a variety of options as reasons for the fee, nearly half (46 per cent) said they believe it is a government tax, and 14 per cent presume the funds are collected to pay for landfill fees. Regardless, the majority of residents (78 per cent) say they’re happy to pay a small fee when purchasing tires if it helps the environment.
“When a recycling fee is made completely transparent with the purchase of new tires, it is a great opportunity for people to see where their money is going and learn how it’s being used to benefit the environment,” says Meldrum. “Understanding what the fee funds, and what products are created as a result, can help lead to better decisions that help to support the industry and combat climate change.”
Knowledge of recycled products is mixed
Once tires are recycled, they can be made into a variety of different products for both commercial and consumer use. Although sixty-three per cent know that there are many products made from the scrap rubber collected from tires, their knowledge is mixed when asked what those products could be.
While a majority (70 per cent) know that scrap tires can be used to make playgrounds and sports fields, fewer are aware that they can also be used for construction materials, athletic mats, asphalt and livestock mats. Surprisingly, only 18 per cent know that garden mulch can be made from scrap tires.
Although a majority of respondents (83 per cent) agree that recycling old tires into new products helps to combat climate change, and 69 per cent believe products made from recycled tires are of high quality, only 28 per cent agreed that they have intentionally purchased a product made from recycled tires – a missed opportunity for Ontarians.
“More people could help combat climate change if they purchased recycled tire products after recognizing the high standards for recycling and knew more about the kind of products produced using recycled tires.” adds Meldrum.
About the survey
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between July 31 and Aug 4, 2020, on behalf of eTracks Tire Management System. For this survey, a sample of 1,000 Ontarians aged 18+ was interviewed online. Quotas and weighting were employed to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the Ontario population according to census parameters. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Ontarians aged 18+ been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
About eTracks
Incorporated by the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC), eTracks Tire Management Systems is the largest Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Ontario, working with tire Processors and Haulers on behalf of North America’s largest tire suppliers. eTracks helps Producers responsibly manage and dispose of ELTs (End of Life Tires) in Ontario as required by the Ontario Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act (RRCEA). For more information, or to find out where to dispose of your ELTs, visit etracks.ca.
For further information or to arrange interviews:
Elizabeth Glassen
BlueSky Communications Inc.
647.309.0141 | eglassen@blueskycommunications.com
