In Inner Mongolia autonomous region, efforts are being made to turn discarded tires into powder, before using them to produce rubber-modified asphalt for paving roads. The technique was jointly developed by Inner Mongolia Beihua Haoshen Technology Co and a team led by academician Zhang Liqun from the Chinese Academy of Engineering who is the president of Xi'an Jiaotong University.

This new type of asphalt is low-carbon, environmentally friendly, low-noise, long-lasting, and does not increase project costs. It can remain stable in temperatures ranging from -30 to 80 C.

According to the person in charge of the company, the company has built a production base capable of producing 300,000 metric tons of scrapped tire rubber-modified asphalt annually, and has already paved over 300 kilometers of roads in places such as Baotou, Hohhot and Alshaa League in Inner Mongolia.

The northern section of the Baotou North Ring Road, paved with rubber-modified asphalt made from scrapped tires.

There is currently a large global surplus of scrapped tires. Rubber tires, due to their heat resistance, aging resistance, waterproofing, resistance to biological degradation, and mechanical damage, can persist for decades after being discarded, posing a significant environmental hazard if left in open dumps. Not only do they occupy land and disrupt the environment, but they can also cause fires, emit large amounts of smoke and toxic pollutants, contaminate groundwater sources, and endanger the survival of numerous organisms. Utilizing scrapped tires is a scientific approach to addressing black pollution, conserving fossil-based asphalt, and protecting the environment.