Budd–Michelin rubber-tired rail cars which featured innovative and distinctive pneumatic tires. The company claimed that its application of tires on its rail cars afforded both a substantially more cushioned ride and increased the cars' traction by 35%. The design of Michelin's tired wheels included an aluminum safety ring and a flange that were only used in the event of a puncture or other type of tire failure; during normal operation, only the rubber tire made contact with the rail. Inspired by Michelin's success, the Budd Company set its sights on marrying the new rubber rail tires with its shot-welded, stainless-steel carbodies; it had developed
Waste tires hefty, thick, and made of multiple materials, scrap tires present distinct challenges in recycling and disposal. In 2007,around 300 million ELTs had been produced in the United States. In 2008 around one billion ELTs were being produced globally each year with an estimated further four billion already in stockpiles and landfills. Global production in 2008 was about 1.5 billion new tires. The U.S. as the largest producer of ELTs alone produced generated 291.8 million tyres in 2009 as estimated by the U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association. In 2013, of tires were generated in the U.S. Newer figures (2015) talk about 450