Pretred awarded multiyear $11.2M grant

The Colorado Circular Communities Enterprise (C3 Enterprise) has awarded a multiyear $11.2 million grant to Pretred Inc., an Aurora, Colorado-based company that produces barriers out of scrap tires. The grant supports the expansion of Pretred’s operations to process scrap tires into crumb rubber. 

The Circular Economy Development Center recommended the project after spending more than a year assessing Pretred’s business model, partnerships, financial viability and product safety. Pretred’s expansion is estimated to turn four million scrap tires from across Colorado into 30,000 barriers each year. The barriers are designed to last for decades and are safe to use on roadways (TL-2), construction sites, erosion and flood control, pedestrian paths, landscaping design and parking, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) says. The barriers can be processed back into crumb rubber at end-of-life.

“Establishing circular economy solutions not only keeps materials out of landfills today but also creates jobs and protects our environment for future generations,” says Laurie Johnson, CEO of Circular Colorado and director of the Circular Economy Development Center. “The Circular Economy Development Center is delighted to be part of this groundbreaking work.”

“The board of directors of the Colorado Circular Communities Enterprise is excited to support this monumental leap forward to advance Colorado’s circular economy,” C3 Enterprise Board of Directors Chair Tyler Bandemer says. “It has been a long time coming. We look forward to seeing Pretred’s continued success and providing other services to help businesses and communities achieve increased waste diversion through solutions that reuse materials and minimize waste.” 

As previously reported by Recycling Today, Pretred’s Colorado Rubber Barrier product line recently passed a certification and safety test the company says can help its products be accepted for use on any road with speed limits up to 44 miles per hour. The company’s product line was subject to Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) tests conducted by Calspan Corp., Buffalo, New York.

The C3 Enterprise is a statewide program aiming to support Colorado’s communities, businesses, nonprofits, schools, institutions of higher learning and tribes to advance the state’s transition to a circular economy. C3 provides financial and technical assistance to advance circularity, including waste diversion and aversion, across the state. The Colorado Circular Economy Development Center provides business development services to help Colorado businesses manufacture new recycled-content products.