How Do I Dispose of Used Tires?

Used Tires Rim Size 15 resized 600

Tires are one of the most consumed items around the world given that they are often changed several times during the use of a car. At present, there are at least 275 million scrap tires in stockpiles in the United States. In New York State alone, around 18-20 million used tires are disposed of every year.

It is therefore important that used tires be safely disposed of due to not only their large volume that exponentially increases garbage generation, but also because they pose the following environmental and safety hazards:

  • If used tires are thrown in landfills, they take up a lot of space and easily pile up. These piles trap methane gas that bubble up and destroy the landfill liners which allows waste to pollute surface and ground water.
  • When placed in wet soils, zinc, heavy metals and other toxins such as vulcanization and rubber chemical in tires may leak into the groundwater.
  • Tires piling in yards harbor rats and become breeding grounds of mosquitoes that carry and transmit diseases.
  • Burning of tires or illegally dumping them in forests, ravines, empty lots, and deserts lead to ground and air pollution.

How Do I Dispose of them Safely?

Fortunately, there are ways and services offered to dispose of used tires safely. The following is a list of agencies to contact who are known to dispose of or reuse used tires. 

  • Contact entities that can reuse your used tires
  • Public works departments as they often use tires to make tar for road maintenance
  • Schools for making swings on their playgrounds
  • Playground mat companies as their products are mainly made of black rubber
  • Tire retailers, especially the business you have purchased your tires from as they often have a method of disposing scrap tires for free or for a minimal fee
  • Local recycling centers or materials recovery facility who resell them to companies to make new tires
  • Environmental non-government organizations that may have recycling programs or may recommend you to other groups who have
  • Use old tires as flower or vegetable pots or swings for your kids in the backyard.

Contact Your local trash removal company to assure your used tires as disposed of in a safe and responsible manner. 

Key Takeaways

  • Millions of used tires are generated each day.
  • Improper disposal of used tires pose environmental and health hazards.
  • Contact your local trash removal company to learn of ways to avoid such hazards in disposing of your used tires. 
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