6 minute read
Used wheel weights
from Modern Tire Dealer - August 2013
by EndeavorBusinessMedia-VehicleRepairGroup
Transitioning from lead to alternatives has created recycling challenges
By Bob Bissler
Lead wheel weights remain in a state of f ux. Currently in the United States, their use is banned in only six states, although other states have proposed bans. Part of the reason is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has asked for a voluntary shif away from lead. And it appears to be working, although slowly.
“We are seeing that the majority of the market is switching on its own,” says Greg Parker, marketing manager at Perfect Equipment Inc. He estimates that the North American market is roughly half non-lead.
“A large part of the market has already switched away from lead,” says Scot Flynn, director of sales at Plombco Inc. “All of the North American OE manufacturers, and all of the af ermarket national retailers use alternatives to lead.” (Plombco of ers new Plasteel wheel weights.)
Flynn says that f ve years ago, the price of lead alternatives was substantially higher than lead. Today, the cost is close to even. In many cases, lead-free products are less expensive.
But not everyone in the wheel weight industry is convinced a voluntary switch over will completely take place.
“Unless the cost equation radically switches between lead and lead-free alternatives, it’s going to take legislation,” says Kevin Keefe, vice president of marketing at Hennessy Industries Inc. “At this point, legislation has ground to a halt at the state level. As an industry, we’re stuck where we never wanted to be.”
Keefe says that because the market now is about 50% lead, 50% lead-free, wheel weight manufacturers have a new cost structure to deal with. T e current market requires them to tool one or two lead-free alternatives while maintaining lead wheel weight operations. T at is starting to change.
“We made the change to non-lead last year as a statement to the industry,” says Daniel Molinari, product department manager at Wurth USA Inc. Molinari says consumers are making the switch to non-lead too, especially younger people. He also sees the switch taking place at repair facilities and with distributors and manufacturers.
Is lead harder to recycle?
“Because there are so many dif erent (wheel weight) materials out in today’s market, it is becoming harder for shops to be able to separate their wheel weights into lead and non-lead containers for recycling return,” says Parker. “A lot of bullet casters will still buy used weights and sort them themselves, but some ‘lead only’ bat ery recyclers have claimed that they don’t want the mixed media.”
“Where there was only lead, now we have a mixture of metals making it harder for the recycling sites to manage,” says
As non-lead wheel weight alternatives such as steel and zinc become more common, tire dealers are seeing more and more mixed media in the wheel weight recycling stream.
Molinari. “Bat ery recycling sites are becoming less responsive to receive wheel weights.”
Lead and steel have dif erent melting points. If lead and steel weights are melted together, the lead melts f rst, and recyclers can skim the steel out of the remelt. “But zinc and lead have fairly similar melting points, so you can’t get the zinc out of the lead batch,” says Keefe. “T e only thing you can do is add more lead to the batch to dilute it. T at’s a problem for the bat ery manufacturers because zinc can’t be present in bat ery lead in any amount really more than 20 parts per million.”
However, Parker says the issue is not zinc versus lead or zinc versus steel. It is lead versus non-lead.
“T ere just isn’t as much lead in the market any more as there used to be — plain and simple,” he says. “All OEMs are non-lead, most of your major, national tire retailers are nonlead, etc. So, today’s typical shop has f ve-gallon buckets of used wheel weights sit ing by the balancer that are likely half as full of lead as they used to be, with the other half being a mix of steel, zinc, plastics and composite materials.”
Parker believes that it is important for the market to know that lead-only bat ery recyclers are not the only scrap wheel weight buyers in the market. “Many scrap dealers all over the country are happy to accept mixed-media returns and they do it daily,” says Parker. “T ese mixed media scrap dealers are able to separate the materials during the recycling process, unlike many lead-only recyclers. At Perfect Equipment, we of er a program to the market that allows for mixed returns at no out-of-pocket expenses. It’s hassle-free.”
“It’s fairly common to f nd local scrap haulers who are willing to buy (mixed media wheel weights) from you, but you lose traceability,” says Keefe.
Perfect Equipment, Plombco Inc., Hennessy Industries and Wurth USA all of er wheel weight return programs and accept mixed media weights.
“We’ll be taking lead of vehicles for years and years and years,” says Keefe.
“It would be a good idea to see (lead wheel weight recycling) through to the end,” says Molinari. “T ere is lead out there and it’s coming of . We need to ensure we capture what’s lef and process it properly through the system.” ■
Transitioning from lead? Here is TIA’s advice
In May 2013, the Tire Industry Association issued best management practices that included the group’s advice for the tire industry to transition away from lead wheel weights.
1. If you are currently purchasing lead wheel weights, contact your supplier to transition away from lead, replacing the wheel weights with non-lead material. The most common alternative material is steel, but other non-toxic alternatives are also being used, including highdensity polymers in specialty applications, and aluminum and zinc alloys. Ask your wheel weight supplier if they have a program for recycling the old wheel weights. 2. You may also check with your automotive battery supplier or a local scrap metal recycler. Recycle used lead wheel weights in an environmentally responsible manner. 3. Designate a storage space for the used lead wheel weights. Store the lead in a labeled container that is capable of handling the excessive weight of lead. 4. Ensure that no lead weights leave the shop as trash or litter. Do not leave lead wheel weights on bay f oors, parking lots or allow them to fall into f oor drains or storm water drains. 5. Provide training to ensure that shop employees are conscientious about the need to treat lead wheel weights with special care. In addition, all employees who handle lead wheel weights should be instructed to wash their hands regularly for proper hygiene.
