Particle pollution produced from tires is 2,000 times greater than is pumped from modern car exhausts. Despite the environmental damages, awareness remains limited. How come?
Revealing the Silent Pollutant.
Tire usage is ubiquitous—2 billion tires globally are sold annually—yet, unlike fossil fuel emissions and air pollution, tires are underlooked for their role in pollution. The silent danger manifests through tire wear, in which tire wear particles, sometimes regarded as TWPs, pose a significant source of pollution. According to Emission Analytics, a vehicle’s four tires collectively emit 1 trillion ultrafine particles per km driven, posing both environmental and health risks. Studies show that such particles can enter organs directly through the bloodstream and attributes to as much as 28 percent of microplastics in the ocean.
Moreover, Tire wear is invariant: regardless of the type of vehicle you drive, one thing remains constant—tires. In fact, electric vehicles—the “environmentally friendly alternative to gasoline vehicles—wear out conventional tires 20-50% faster than fossil fuel vehicles, with tire emissions 20 percent greater than fossil-fuel vehicles due to their torque and weight.
The Local Impact.
Founded in Vancouver, BC, The Traction Initiative is particularly motivated by the local impacts of tire wear pollution on waterways.
Vancouver, a coastal city recognized for its beautiful scenery and harbour, is prone to polluted runoff—exacerbated only by the prevalence of rain. As a result, tire wear and pollution are magnified, thus it is imperative that we protect our oceans from tire pollution.
Such environmental consequences have already revealed themselves. 6PPD-quinone, a chemical present in all tires to prolong tire life, has found its way into our creeks and rivers through polluted runoff, causing major Coho Salmon die-offs.
Our Mission.
To inspire innovation in developing environmentally friendly tires, The Traction Initiative applies a three-pronged approach:
Research
Conducting local surveys to collect
meaningful data and research tire models
to collect environmental data.
Advocacy
Using research as a tool to spread awareness in the form of posters, social media, and environmental conferences.
Fundraising
To gather funds to develop rain gardens and ensure the safe repurposing of tires (playground flooring).