When it comes to recycling old tyres into new products, the processors and manufacturers are the heart of the tyre recycling industry in British Colombia.

When Tire Stewardship British Colombia collects scrap tyres, they are processed into crumb rubber and then sent to manufacturers to turn those broken-down rubber materials into new products like playground surfaces, athletic tracks, garden mulch, and a product that is important in the farming industry, but perhaps less-known to the public – horse mats.

More than 50 years ago, North West Rubber (NWR) began operating from a red barn in Pitt Meadows. Since 1968, their brand RedBarn has created recycled rubber mats that have become synonymous with quality and reliability within the equine, dairy, and horse trailer industries. Their rubber products are produced using BC recycled rubber and offer innovative, non-absorbent, slip-resistant, durable, and comfortable surfaces for farm animals.

In the late ’60s and early ’70s, the company picked up scrap tyres and buffings from the local area, ground them up, and manufactured rubber mats. These mats were used for agricultural applications, ice rinks, gyms, and pick-up truck beds. Now, NWR is well known for creating high-quality rubber products such as sports flooring, safe and durable playground surfaces, heavy-duty mats for truck beds, and of course, environmentally-friendly mats for the farm industry.