Nova Scotia may be experimenting with burning tires but one local company is being tapped to help Newfoundland move in the opposite direction.

Halifax C&D Recycling will oversee a pilot project on tire recycling in Norris Arm, west of Gander.

"We're always looking to expand our business," said Mike Chaissie, operations manager for Halifax C&D. "This was a good opportunity to get a foothold in the Newfoundland market."

It's also good news in light of a setback in Nova Scotia, where the provincial government has decided to send 30 per cent of all tires collected annually — about 300,000 tires — to the Lafarge Cement Plant in Brookfield to burn as fuel.

Reusing 2,000 tonnes of tires

The reverse seems to be happening in Newfoundland. For the past six years, their tires have been sent to Quebec to be burned. Starting in mid-August, 2,000 tonnes of tires will be shredded and reused instead.

"That product can be in road building, retaining walls and septic systems," said Chaissie. "This is a jobs creator."

The CEO of Newfoundland's Multi-Materials Stewardship Board, Mike Samson, said the pilot project isn't about saving money but rather about finding new uses for tires to avoid dips in the market.

"It's always nice to have an option in terms of where the material can go at the end of the day," Samson said.

The pilot project is supposed to last four months and will employ up to six people.

Chaissie is confident that if the project works out he could set up a full-time operation in Newfoundland within a couple of months.