Michigan recycled 7,000+ tires into road that later won national green award
Michigan successfully recycled over 7,000 scrap tires into rubber-modified asphalt for a road resurfacing project in Pittsfield Township. The initiative, which aimed to test sustainable infrastructure, received a national award for its environmental impact.
Why it matters
This project demonstrates a scalable, sustainable solution for managing waste tires while improving infrastructure durability.
What happens when thousands of worn-out tires reach the end of the road? In Michigan, some of them found their way back onto one. In 2025, more than 7,000 scrap tires were recycled into rubber-modified asphalt used on approximately 0.8 miles of Ellsworth Road in Pittsfield Township. According to the Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC), the project was designed to test how pavement containing recycled tire rubber performs compared with conventional asphalt. The unusual road experiment brought together WCRC, Michigan Technological University and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to explore a practical use for scrap tires while studying pavement performance.The experiment later received national recognition.
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