Tire Disposal
Old tires can be used again and again.
Properly disposed of, a tire may be recycled and used in other products; improperly disposed of, a tire may contribute to air and water pollution and become a risk to human health.
Recycled tires
After collection, many scrap tires are recycled for use in other rubber products. Once the steel band is removed, a tire can be manipulated into floor mats, shoe soles, belts, gaskets and muffler hangers. Whole tires are also used for boat bumpers on docks, or as highway crash barriers. One of the primary markets for scrap tires is rubberized asphalt used to repave roads or sidewalks. (And you thought that the new spring in your step was from your morning coffee!)
How to recycle
When it’s time to buy new tires, often the tire dealership will accept old tires for a fee. The fees collected are usually dedicated to tire recycling, or scrap tire clean-up. In some cities, local municipalities will have a drop-off day, when citizens can bring a limited number of tires to a specified site with no charge. Another possibility is to ask your local recycler if they accept tires.
Improper disposal
Illegally dumped tires are a risk to both human health and the environment. Tire piles can attract disease carrying pests such as rodents, while stagnant water that collects inside tires breeds insects like mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are known carriers of malaria, dengue fever and encephalitis.
Tire stockpiles that catch on fire emit toxic smoke and can take weeks or even months to put out. A tire fire can even be hot enough to create an oil runoff which will then contaminate soil and threaten surface and groundwater supplies. Do your part and dispose of your tires properly.
