The accumulation of, and environmental hazards associated with, tire rubber and its disposal are major global concerns. The complex composition and structure of tire rubber and its additives make it highly resistant to natural degradation, but recently, microbial methods of detoxification and degradation of tire rubber have been developed. The polymers in tire rubber can be devulcanized by the activity of aerobic and anaerobic microbes and both the metabolic pathways and associated enzymes involved are becoming better known. Combining and adapting different rubber treatment processes could ultimately lead to more efficient ways of degrading and recycling tire rubber waste.