Tips on Recycling Tires

With the amount of disposed tires reaching as high as 300 million, it’s important to know alternatives to dumping them in landfills. The first step to take before even discarding your tires is to lengthen the life of your tires.There are a few simple things that can extend a tire’s usable life:

• Maintain proper tire pressure.
• Avoid excessive braking and accelerating.
• Rotate and balance your tires, as well as check their alignment regularly.
• Avoid overloading your automobile.
• Don’t replace all four tires if only one or two are worn.
• Use retreads, which are as safe as new tires.

Inspect tires at least once per month and check for:

1. Splits in the tread
2. Uneven wearing
3. Cracks
4. Other damage

There are also a variety of options for reusing, rather than recycling, tires. It is common in some countries for people to even make sandals out of scrap tires. Other products include:

• Rubber bands
• Swings
• Mulch
• Tree guards
• Garden ponds
• Livestock feeders
• Sandboxes

When looking to recycle tires, take them to a local recycling facility or tire retailer. When picking out a recycling facility, make sure they accept tires and that yours fit their quantity and size limitations. If you are taking tires back to the retailer, you may have to pay a small fee.

Many counties administer “tire amnesty days” where local citizens may drop off a limited number of tires free of charge. Contact your local solid waste management facility to receive more information about a tire amnesty day in your area.