The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation is partnering up with Titan Tire to address old tire waste. The partnership between band owned Acden and Titan Tire subsidiary Titan Tire Reclamation Corp. will help turn old tire waste into something positive instead of the environmental threat that used tires can pose when they are simply disposed of. A ribbon cutting ceremony for the processing facility was recently held. The facility is located off of Highway 63 close to the open mine pit operated by Suncor situated to the north of Fort McMurray. The new facility currently employs 15 workers but both companies hope to expand this number and say they could employ as many as 40 workers in the future. Used tires that are not repairable are baked in a thermal vacuum recovery device which breaks down the used tire materials, and the gases which are released during the process are captured and used to generate energy.

The new facility uses innovative technology to eliminate old tire waste and produce new products that are useful. Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam explained “We talk about the environment and the state of it, but we also find partners looking to do things that are more environmentally friendly in this region, Keeping tires out of landfills is one of our ways of promoting what we’ve been talking about. Reclamation is a big part of the future and lucrative enough to make a profit.” According to Paul Newton, the president of Titan Tire Reclamation Corp., “It’s a green story in an industry that has been looked upon and shunned as dirty.”