TIRE Stewardship BC (TSBC), a not-for-profit group dedicated to the collection and recycling of scrap tires in British Columbia, announced that Senator Reid Elementary, located at 9341 126 Street, Surrey, received a grant from TSBC that provided them with 2,278 sq. ft./8,600 kg, of recycled B.C. tire rubber, which is equivalent to 1391 scrap tires, to be used for the surface of their new playground.

“Senator Reid Elementary is a fantastic community school that provides a lot of support and supplies for its students that come from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, including food, clothing, and school supplies, and they continue to be proactive in looking at ways to meet the diverse needs of their students,” said Rosemary Sutton, Executive Director, Tire Stewardship BC.

“This is why we are very proud to partner with Senator Reid Elementary on the development of this new playground that is wheelchair accessible, environmentally friendly and safe for the children. The recycled rubber surface is also locally made, low maintenance, and can handle all weather conditions. TSBC continues to look for opportunities to provide financial resources to organizations that use recycled tire products for projects that enhance the quality of life for all British Columbians.”

To date, TSBC has given out over $5 million dollars in community grants. Grants go towards a variety of projects including rubber surfacing for playgrounds, water parks, fitness areas, walkways, and running tracks. Organizations within the province of BC, including municipalities, registered non-profit community groups or organizations, schools, and First Nations and Métis settlement, interested in a TSBC community grant can find out more information at https://tsbc.ca/community-events-programs/the-tsbc-community-grant-program/. Applications for 2022 will be accepted until March 17.

TSBC’s scrap tire recycling program in B.C, is one of the most successful in North America and the oldest recycling program in Canada. Since the B.C. program was first established in 1991, over 100 million tires have been recycled, and every year the equivalent of over five million scrap vehicle tires are recycled into new products. Visit https://www.rcbc.ca/recyclepedia/search to search for tire recycling locations throughout the province.