Testing Used Tyres as Soil and Water Conservation Control Measures toFavour Circular Economy in Mali

Abstract

Microplastics are an emerging global threat in all ecosystems and have potential negative effects through multiple exposurepathways. In Mali, innovations such as the manufacture of chairs, sandals, decorative objects, etc. are being developed to reuse usedtyres in order to combat environmental pollution. The special feature of this study is the experimentation with old tyres inagricultural plots to examine their effects on infiltration, runoff, moisture and soil loss. "Pneusol" works on the basis of gathering oldtyres, cutting them into arcs, and positioning them in the ridges perpendicular to the direction of flows. The experimental set-upcomposed by control plot pair with a “pneusol” plot (30 m long and 10 m wide) has been installed on erosion crusted soil inDjindjila. Each plot has been isolated by corrugated sheets 30 cm high above the ground, embedded 20 cm deep. The results showthe effectiveness of pneusol is quite significant, since it reduces the amount of water runoff by 34%, increase average moisture by22.33% and reduce soil lost by 52.63% compared to control plot. The ability of tyres to limit runoff, improve infiltration and increasesoil moisture, thereby stimulating agricultural production, has been demonstrated in this study. This result offers interestingprospects for farmers who are already experiencing the harmful effects of climate change. The effect of capturing and infiltratingrunoff water, combined with the soil amendment, make “pneusol” an effective agricultural production technique on degraded land, directly from the first year of implementation. Also, the repurposing of used tyres in a circular economy makes it possible to turn apotentially problematic waste into a resource, promoting a more environmentally friendly and long-lasting model.