The recycling centre helps you find the tire recycling centre nearest you so you can safely dispose of your old, worn-out tires. Curbside pickup is not an option. You must recycle them at a designated recycling centre, sell them, or have an auto body shop dispose of them for you.
Fortunately, there are plenty of affordable and convenient options. You could even make a few bucks with a little luck. This page will answer all your questions, explain your obligations and show you how to save as much money as possible or even make a profit with your old tires!
Why do I need to recycle used tires?
You should recycle tires because they are not biodegradable and take up considerable space in landfills. Not only is this bad for the environment, but it also reduces our ability to eliminate waste, among other issues (explained below).
Hundreds of millions of old tires are recycled each year in the United States. Some are reused to make new products like asphalt for roads (we explain this below); some are reused at home for creative projects; some are even in good enough condition to be retreaded and put back on the road.
But why do we need to recycle them instead of just throwing them away?
Two reasons:
- Tires are not biodegradable: tires can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose. If you illegally dump them in nature, they will release toxins and poison the environment.
- Tires take up a lot of space in landfills: if we only dumped tires in landfills, they would fill up too quickly and reduce our ability to dispose of normal waste. In addition, tires get into landfills and attract insects and pests. This makes them a breeding ground for disease.
Any tips for getting rid of old tires?
Old tires are everywhere, but that doesn’t mean people know what to do with them. It’s become very clear over the last few decades that we can’t just dump them all in landfills without harming the environment. At Eco Green Equipment, we’re dedicated to developing the machinery to help companies turn used tires into valuable secondary markets such as sports fields, playground surfaces, mulch and moulded products. But how do you reuse those tires as an everyday consumer? Read on for ideas, and feel free to call us for more tips on how to get your tires to a recycling centre near you.
To scrap yards and stores
You can usually dispose of old tires at junkyards and stores that like to recycle old parts. A friend of mine who runs the junkyard takes old tires, as they can usually be reused for something else or recycled the right way. Don’t just throw old tires away, as this is bad for the environment. Taking them yourself to recycling centres or delivering them to a junkyard you like is usually the best way to go. You’re healing the environment, and you won’t get a fine for littering.
Do-it-yourself projects or sell them
You should remember that there are almost no free ways to dispose of tires unless you want to turn them into a DIY project in your backyard. You can create a tree swing, a wheeled dog bed or a wheeled table in the garden. If this isn’t something you’d like to do, you can use the following options:
- Find a recycling centre in your area. Check with them to see if they are authorized to recycle tires. Some states have a tax-funded program for tire recycling. Therefore, check your state’s laws.
- Buy new tires so the auto store will take your old ones.
- Depending on your state, you can sell your tires to a local auto body shop or on Craigslist. I would recommend this option if you have large truck tires in good condition. Those can sell for $50 each.
Sell them through an online garage sale
Getting rid of old tires isn’t as easy as it sounds. If your tires still have decent tread, the best way to get rid of them is to sell them through a garage sale or online marketplace. They may be just what someone else is looking for and can get a couple of years out of them.
If your old tires have reached the end of their useful life, the place where you get your new tires will usually take them and dispose of them for a fee. You can expect to pay around five dollars per tire to get rid of your tires.
Uses for old tires
You will be amazed to know that tires are one of the biggest sources of waste in the world due to the large volume generated and their high durability. Considering that our world is going through a bad time, we must act and commit ourselves to helping it as much as we can, and what better way to start than reusing those old tires that are no longer useful?
Here is a gallery with simple examples that will show you how you should recycle your tires to transform them into useful objects for your home.
- Cute grass containers
- Entertaining swings
- Painted sofas
- Rope-covered seating
- Cute wrapped tire seat
- Textile sculpture
- Hanging flower pots
- Containers made out of tire rubber
- Children’s games
- Design objects for bars
- Cute Christmas ornament
- Hand wash basin
Finding a place for tire recycling
If you have reached this point, it is because you are deeply interested in getting rid of those old tires; for that reason, we bring the following options so that you can finally escape from those rubber pieces taking storage at your home; you can read tire recycling alternatives down below.
Tire Recycling Programs
U.S. Statistics
Nearly 76% of U.S. tires were recycled into products such as rubber-modified asphalt, automotive products and landscaping. Mulch, According to the U.S. Tire Management Association’s 2019 Scrap Tire Management Report. That’s down from 96% in 2013.
About 56 million scrap tires remain in U.S. stockpiles, particularly in states such as Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Texas, Virginia and Washington. New Jersey, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia have no active stockpile cleanup programs.
Statistics in Canada
In contrast, the Canadian Tire Recycling Association Agencies reported a 111% diversion rate in 2018 and an eight-year average of 104% as the industry works with available stockpiles.
Canadian totals for 2019 are scheduled to be released in the coming weeks.
“Three decades after we successfully disposed of 94% of the more than one billion scrap tires stockpiled in the United States, this report reveals that efforts to find and develop new uses for scrap tires have stalled,” said Anne Forristall Luke, president and CEO of the U.S. Tire Management Association (USTMA).
Canadian jurisdictions collected 439,509 tons of tires in 2018 and recycled 461,434 tons in total.
Canada’s primary markets
“Canada has been close to 100% for several years,” says Tire and Rubber Association of Canada president and CEO Glenn Maidment, referring to waste diversion efforts here.
“Each province has an organization that is ultimately responsible for making sure their scrap tires are collected and managed responsibly.”
Major markets for Canada’s recycled rubber include sports surfaces, moulded products and rubber-coated asphalt. But most tire dust used for rubberized asphalt is exported to the United States, he said.
“If I had one wish, it’s that Canadian provinces would look at it more closely, about using that as a material, because it really is a virtuous circle in terms of creating a circular economy.”
Meanwhile, USTMA is calling for states to focus scrap tire funds on reuse, recycling and cleanup programs; a national portal for states to share data; and the wider use of rubber-modified asphalt and stormwater infiltration galleries.
Historic stimulus
A massive tire fire in Hagersville, Ont. heightened Canadian focus on scrap tires 30 years ago.
“Millions of tires burned over 17 days, resulting in the evacuation of nearby residents and environmental contamination,” writes CATA President Brett Eckstein in the organization’s 2019 annual report.
“With numerous large stockpiles of end-of-life tires across the country, provincial governments took notice of the growing public demands for better environmental management of tires.”