Getting rid of one old tyre is relatively easy, but eliminating millions of them is a different problem altogether. Tyres in stockpiles do not break down; they collect rainwater that becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and large stockpiles of them have a history of catching fire and burning for weeks at a time, producing thick, oily smoke that is hard to put out and worse to breathe. Virginia had exactly that kind of waste-tire backlog when engineers decided to turn part of the problem into a potential construction material.
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