🔎 What’s going on?
A group of Imperial students have created an award winning device that reduces tyre microplastic pollution. Last week, Tyre Collective won this year’s national James Dyson Award.
🚙 Cool, tell me more!
Every time a vehicle brakes, accelerates or turns a corner, the tyres ‘wear down’ through friction with the road surface and these tiny particles are known as ‘tyre wear particles’. Tyre Collective’s device uses electrostatics (the study of electric charges) to essentially collect charged particles coming off the tyre. If you have ever tried to rub a ballon against your head as a child, you’ll know that the friction created between objects can charge particles. Turns out that tyre particles are positively charged due to friction. Tyre Collective’s device uses electrostatic plates and airflow around the wheel to capture these tyre particles.
The device is positioned close to where the tyre meets the road near the spinning wheel and can be adapted to various vehicles. The captured particles are stored within the device itself and are re-purposed into new tyres and other uses.
❓ Why should I care?
Tyre wear is a microplastic and air pollutant. It is also the second largest microplastic pollutant in our oceans after single-use plastic. Air pollutants are any materials in the air that causes harm to both humans and ecosystems. These materials can be solid particles, liquid droplets or gases and are usually either man-made or natural. Particulate Matter (usually referred to as PM2.5 and PM10) are very fine particles that are so small and light that both humans and animals can inhale them easily. Due to their size, these toxins can easily enter the bloodstream and be transported around the body (especially the heart, brain, lungs and other organs). Therefore, PM2.5 and PM10 can result in serious impacts to health. As a microplastic, they also enter our waterways and make their way into the food we eat. Not to mention, the harmful effects microplastics have on ocean wildlife.
🚦 Where do we need to be?
Tyre wear currently accounts for nearly 50% of PM2.5 emissions from road transport. This device currently captures 60% of all airborne particles in test environments. Therefore if all vehicles on the road attach this device to their tyres, then we can massively reduce both microplastic and particulate matter pollution.
👤 What can I do about it?
Create awareness around tyre wear being a microplastic and air pollutant, it’s a topic that’s barely talked about - especially in comparison to single-use plastics.
As an individual, you can reduce the use of private vehicles where possible and instead increase your use of trains and public transport to minimise microplastic pollution.
If you are an investor, then you should invest in innovative technologies such as Tyre Collective to solve a massive problem.
Related: Meet the Interceptor, a solution to river-plastics pollution