Tire recycling plant in eastern Ontario gets $18M overhaul

MOOSE CREEK, Ont.—The $18-million expansion of an eastern Ontario manufacturing plant that makes products out of used tires has been completed, according to the company, creating 45 additional jobs in the region.

Moose Creek Tire Recycling (MCTR) said its expanded facility in Moose Creek, Ont., about 70 kilometres southeast of Ottawa, will now to able to produce more than 300,000 rubber mats each year out of used tires.

“This expansion is as significant to Ontarians as it is to MCTR because it allows us to manage waste responsibility within the province and boost local job growth, all while fulfilling the growing demand for innovative recycled tire products,” MCTR president Andre Lafleche said in a statement.

MCTR began processing Ontario’s used tires in 2004 and partnered with Animat, a Sherbrooke, Que.-based firm, to manufacture rubber mats made from recycled tires for use in the agriculture sector as floor liners for barns and stalls.

“Ontario’s agricultural community is increasingly realizing the livestock, environmental and long-term cost benefits of using eco-friendly recycled tire products for its operations, such as those offered by Animat,” Lafleche said. “This demand has had a significant impact on our decision to expand our production capabilities to better serve Ontarians.”

In Ontario, more than 12 million tires are sold each year, and every tire contains more than 90 per cent recyclable materials such as synthetic and natural rubber, oil, polyester and steel, according to MCTR.

Under the used tires program operated by Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS), MCTR works with collectors, haulers, processors and product manufacturers to recycle used tires into fine crumb rubber.

Crumb rubber becomes a key ingredient when creating new recycled tire products, such as MCTR’s Animat rubber mats.

The mats can also be used at ice rinks to prevent damage to skate blades and cement floors, and as anti-fatigue mats.