As a consequence of massive production and consumption
of rubbers,
rubber blends, and rubber composites for myriad applications, elastomeric
products have enormously accumulated and become an environmental threat.
The disposal and burning of rubber wastes have been banned because
of environmental and economic reasons. By contrast, a great deal of
attention has been directed toward strategies enabling recycling and
reuse of rubbers. Basically, conventional recycling methods suffer
from several drawbacks such as the formation of dust, fumes, and toxic
gases in the air, as well as contamination of underground water resources.
Thus, green and sustainable formulations and processing methods nowadays
are of priority and importance. Taking advantage of sustainable development
horizons, scientific and technological aspects of waste rubber management
such as processing techniques, properties of the resulting products,
industrial applications, and compatibilization with other materials
such as thermoplastics, thermosets, and rubbers are herein reviewed
and discussed. A particular emphasis is placed on reactive extrusion
as a highly flexible in situ compounding method enabling
innovations and taking care of sustainability concerns. Finally, the
current status of green rubber recycling and future opening doors
ahead of this technology are highlighted.