SCRAP RUBBER

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22470, 4 January 1943, Page 2

SCRAP RUBBER

Dominion Objective

The Dominion objective for scrap rubber is from 6000 to 10,000 tons to be reached within the next few months, states a bulletin from the National Council for the reclamation of Waste, which sets out the policy for rubber collections throughout New Zealand. It is stated that the picking out of useful waste and its contribution to the national bins have not been taken seriously enough by New Zealand people, who even now refuse to recognise that they are in what Americans call a “hot spot” as regards rubber, paper, and some of the metals. The bulletin gives the prices to be paid for rubber scrap, running from £3 a ton for miscellaneous waste to as high as £B4 for clean crepe rubber cuttings; crepe soles stripped from shoes will bring £3O a ton. Tyres beyond hope of repair and gumboots are worth £4/10/- a ton. The rubber is to be reused partly in New Zealand and partly overseas. Tyres that are retreadable are to be sent to retread companies, with first emphasis upon all truck tyres. Rubber companies in Auckland and Christchurch will take substantial quantities of scrap, and the surplus will go overseas. possibly to Australia, for exchange for tyres and goods needed for military and other urgent uses. Apart from manufacture of scores of small types of rubber equipment for hospital, military and essential civilian needs, the Director of Producstion, Mr G. Jackson, told the national council, there is an urgent need for rubber soles to ease the demand on leather, now in short supply and in high demand. The bulletin adds that special low rates will be charged by the Railway Department and most of the work is being done by voluntary service so that the return to the patriotic funds should be substantial. That will be all to the good, but the rubber position .s so serious that collection of every scrap is. after all, the first consideration. To the individual the bit of scrap that ne can find about the home or office is quite without value, but several hundred thousand bits and pieces will make up the tons, and nothing can be passed over if the 10,000 tons hoped for are to be found.