4R of rubber waste management: current and outlook

Excessive accumulation of rubber waste necessitates the need to revisit the effectiveness of the existing rubber waste management system. This review provides an overview of the legislative frameworks, techniques, challenges, and trends of rubber waste management in various countries. The 4R (reduce, reuse, recycle and recover) framework applied in waste management system in some countries appears to be viable for the processing of rubber waste. Certain countries especially some of the European Union (EU) members have implemented extended producer responsibility (EPR) system to manage the collection of rubber waste, particularly used tires. The processing of rubber waste in each level of the 4R hierarchy was then discussed, with detailed elaboration on the most practiced ‘R’, recycling which encompasses the direct recycling of products, as well as material recycling via physical and/or chemical means. The challenges faced in the implementation of rubber waste management system in different countries were highlighted and recommendations for a more sustainable rubber consumption were provided at the end of this review.