Handing Over Tires for Recycling
Leave your old tires when you get new ones for the easiest solution. Many tire retailers build the cost of taking your old tires into the price of buying and installing new ones. Even if this disposal fee costs you $5-$20 USD per tire, it’s by far the most convenient way to dispose of old tires. Ask the retailer what they do with old tires, and perhaps even which recycler they use. If they say they send old tires to a junkyard instead of having them recycled, take your old tires with you and find a tire recycler yourself.
Bring old tires to a retailer even if you're not buying new tires. Regardless of whether you buy new tires from them, many tire retailers will accept old tires for a small fee of perhaps $5-$20 per tire. Call tire retailers in your area and ask if they take old tires, what they do with them, and how many they will accept—they may have a limit of 4 per customer, for instance. If they don’t send old tires to be recycled, find another retailer that does.
Get rid of tires and other troublesome junk at a hard-to-recycle event. Hard-to-recycle events have become popular in recent years as a way for people to get rid of things like old TVs, appliances, and tires that can’t be put out with municipal trash. Check local news sources, social media, and government websites for information on when and where events will occur in your area. Not all hard-to-recycle events accept tires, so confirm this before loading your old tires into your trunk!
Drop off old tires with your other recyclables at a recycling facility. In most cases, recycling operations will accept used tires if you bring them to the facility. Call first to make sure they’ll take your tires, and ask if there is a tire limit—for instance, 4 per customer. There may also be a per-tire fee, so ask about that as well. To find recycling facilities, use your favorite search browser, visit the websites of environmentally-friendly groups, or call your local government’s environmental protection department.
Take your tires to a tire processor to guarantee their reuse. Unlike general recycling facilities, specialty tire recycling processing centers focus specifically on recycling tires and using the materials to create new products. For example, they might shred the tires on-site to create rubber mulch for use in gardens or playgrounds. Search online for “tire recycling processing center” to determine if there are any facilities in your area. If you have more tires than you can transport to the facility, some companies will pick up the tires for you.
Getting Rid of Numerous Tires
Call a scrap tire hauler to take away old tires from your property. If you’ve accumulated a significant pile of old tires, your best bet is to have a hauler come to collect them for you. Search for “scrap tire haulers” in your area, and get answers to the following before choosing one: Ask if there is a minimum or maximum number of tires they’ll accept. Ask what they charge, and if the charge is per tire or by weight. Ask what they do with the tires—are they recycled or sent to a junkyard or landfill?
Contact government authorities regarding illegal tire dumping. Unfortunately, some people think that the best way to dispose of old tires is to roll them down a wooded hillside. If you find illegal tire dumping on your property or on public property, contact your local department of environmental protection and possibly the police. Ideally, the government agency will arrange for the removal and proper disposal of the old tires. If someone else (for example, a neighbor) is dumping tires on their own property, your options may be limited based on the laws in your area. Contact your department of environmental protection for guidance.
Avoid the risks of keeping old tires on your property. Even if you are legally permitted to keep old tires on your property, there are numerous reasons why you should not. For example: Standing water collects easily inside of old tires, making an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes that can carry a range of dangerous illnesses. Tire fires are extremely difficult to extinguish, and the burning tires release noxious chemicals into the air and liquids that can contaminate nearby water. The tires can be easily recycled or repurposed at a minimal cost!
Upcycling Your Tires
Make a circular planter for flowers or edible plants. This is about as simple as it gets! Lay the tire at the selected spot in your garden, then fill the hole in the center with your preferred plant-growing medium (potting soil, compost, etc.). Then plant your flowers or edibles as normal and watch them grow! You can paint the outside of the tire to make it either blend in (e.g., paint it green) or stand out (e.g., paint it pink). Or, try decorating the tire by wrapping it in old rope before filling it.
Build a circular, kid-sized sandbox. While a standard car or truck tire will work here, an old tractor tire or other big tire will make a bigger sandbox. Lay a sheet of sturdy plastic, cut into the shape of the tire, onto a flat piece of ground, then lay the tire on top of it. Fill the center of the tire with bagged play sand from a home improvement retailer. If you want to put the sandbox on a deck or patio, cut a sheet of 0.5 in (1.3 cm) plywood into the circular shape of the tire, using a jigsaw. Then, glue it to the bottom of the tire with construction adhesive.
Create a comfy dog bed from a clean tire. Thoroughly wash the outside and inside of the tire with soap and water—this is best done outdoors with a hose. Once it dries, lay it in the intended spot and fill the center with old pillows and blankets until the cushioning is even with the top of the tire. A car tire may only be big enough for a smaller dog.
Create a classic vertical or horizontal tire swing. This summertime staple is a great way to reuse old tires! Clean the tire thoroughly and drill several drainage holes into it. Tie a sturdy rope onto a strong tree branch that’s a safe distance away from the tree trunk. Then do one of the following: For a simple vertical swing, feed the other end of the rope through the middle of and around the tire and tie it securely. For a horizontal swing, attach 3 evenly-spaced eye-bolts or U-bolts into the sidewall of the tire, then use 3 even lengths of rope or chain to securely connect the bolts to the rope attached to the tree.
Build a garden table from 2 old tires. Clean off 2 tires of equal size, then paint them if desired—you can paint them the same color or complementary colors, like red and blue. Lay the first tire onto a level piece of ground, run a thick bead of construction adhesive around the top, and stack the second tire on top of the first. Cut a round wooden tabletop that’s slightly larger than the tires, or repurpose an old wood or even glass tabletop. Glue the tabletop in place with construction adhesive as well. If you don’t want to glue the tabletop on, drill some drainage holes into the bottoms of the tires—that way, any rainwater that seeps in won’t collect in the tires.
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