Abstract: A process for recovering rubber from a tire, the tire including a rubber tread block, steel belting, and an inner liner that serves to hold the air pressure in the tire. The bead and sidewall may be removed from the tire leaving a loop of tread material. Next, the loop is placed on a rubber-separating machine to hold the loop in place. One or more cutting blades are lowered into position at the tread portion of the tire. Once the blades are in place, the tread loop is placed in motion around the rollers. As the blades contact the steel belts, the cutting blades separate the tread rubber from the reinforced rubber at the interface between the tread rubber and the steel belts.