Keeping the wheels turning for used tyres

The Star

a day ago

Roll with it: Muhammad Akhmal inspecting his creations that were made from used tyres at his workshop in Kampung Pulau, near Durian Tunggal. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: For most people, used tyres are castoffs. But for Muhammad Akhmal Adib, that 'waste' has become a source of livelihood.
The 33-year-old former lorry driver from Durian Tunggal, Melaka, transforms used tyres into a range of useful items such as signboards for residential areas, tables and chairs.
Muhammad Akhmal said he never imagined that what started as a hobby in 2020 during the movement control order period would grow into a full-time business, and a successful one at that.
He started by repurposing used tyres into flower pots. Today, he produces 32 unique designs.
Apart from flower pots, signboards, and tables and chairs, he also shapes used tyres into various animal figures such as storks, tortoises and frogs, using nearly 1,000 used tyres each month to meet orders from customers across Peninsular Malaysia.
'The first item I tried to make was a flower pot. Then my wife suggested I make it look nice and post it on Facebook.
'I didn't expect people to ask me if they could buy it, and over time, my customer base kept growing,' he told Bernama.
He said that when he first began making these unique recycled products, he used about 100 tyres a month.
However, in the past two years, as demand increased, his use of tyres has multiplied tenfold.
Muhammad Akhmal's products are mainly used as decoration in gardens, residential landscaping and in schools, as well as in community projects that promote environmental sustainability.
Among his current bestsellers are small flower pots (about 45cm to 50cm in size), and Muhammad Akhmal can produce 50 units of these in just two days.
'In the past, I could get tyres for free from tyre shops, but many were damaged with wires sticking out, which is dangerous if I were to use them to make products.
'So now, I buy used tyres in good condition for between RM2.50 and RM5 each, depending on the size,' he said.
Operating from a workshop specially built near his home, each tyre collected is cleaned, cut and shaped according to a specific design, then fastened with screws and painted in bright colours.
Details such as eyes, patterns or lettering are then added before being coated with a protective finish to withstand weather conditions.
'I get inspiration from various sources – some ideas come from customers, others from my children's toys.
'I also learned welding before, which helps a lot in the design and structure of the products,' the father of two said, adding he has two workers to help him at his workshop.
He also said each product can last more than five years, thanks to the natural durability of rubber, which does not deteriorate easily even when exposed to sun and rain.
Muhammad Akhmal, whose business generates an income of between RM7,000 and RM8,000 a month, views his work as more than just a business because it enables him to contribute to environmental conservation by repurposing old tyres.