Identificación de estrategias para mejorar el desempeño ambiental en el aprovechamiento de residuos de caucho de los artesanos de Narancay

Abstract

Today, the management of end-of-life tires (ELTs) represents one of the most important global issues due to its potential environmental and health impacts. It is estimated that between 1.3 and 1.5 billion tons (Mt) of this waste is generated annually worldwide. The growth of the vehicle fleet due to the dependence that human beings have developed on the use of vehicles as the main means of transportation and the inefficient management of tires when they reach the end of their useful life, generate concern and aggravate this situation even more. In the national context, about 30 formal organizations have been recognized that are responsible for the proper management of the approximately 2,4 million NFU discarded annually. However, information about industrial and artisanal recycling of NFU at the national and local levels is limited, which has hindered its development. Such is the case of the Rubber Artisans of Narancay, a group of people located in the city of Cuenca who for three generations have been using the rubber of the NFU to make different products. Although their activities are recognized locally and nationally, there are no known previous studies that have analyzed the utilization practices carried out by this group from an environmental perspective. Within the framework of the above, the present work seeks to know the recycling patterns of the Narancay Artisans through the application of a research instrument and the Material Flow Analysis (MFA) in order to subsequently, from an environmental approach, identify strategies that contribute to an adequate management of rubber waste for a more efficient utilization. It was estimated that during the period July 2021 to June 2022 the Artisans received 2790,32 t, which were distributed in three channels: artisanal processing, export and delivery to EMAC, in percentages of 93,76 %, 5,95 %, and 0,29 %, respectively. The artisanal processing flow was the most significant with an input of 2583,58 t, 45,18 % of which was used for the production of shredded rubber, 42,10 % for vehicle spare parts, 9,52 % for drinking fountains, 3,02 % for strips, 0,14 % for flowerpots and 0,03 % for furniture. Finally, based on the results of the MFA, the flows and activities that generate environmental impacts were identified, on which the identification of strategies for the improvement of the environmental performance of the Rubber Artisans of Narancay was based. These alternatives were evaluated by a team of experts in the area of ELF management and treatment, which provided an overview of their suitability, feasibility and acceptability.