Tire Recycling

[+Spoon!]

I am hoping to set up a CITO event sometime this year, although it may not happen on April 22! Part of the area has a large number of tires that have been dumped from a nearby road down an embankment that is quite steep and also at least represents at least 80 feet of elevation change. My questions are twofold:

 

1. Does anyone have experience setting up disposal of tires? Is recycling required in PA? If the area is under DCNR, do they handle any/all disposal details?

 

2. Any hints on removal of a large number of tires from an area that is not accessible to motor vehicles? The road, as I mentioned, is at the top of a steep embankment. The trail is on the other side of a stream from the tire dump area. ATV's could get to the general location, but I don't think a full-size vehicle could because of bridge issues.

 

I realize that as I contact the managing entity of this location that some of these questions may be answered, I'm just looking for foreknowledge to help me ask the right questions!

 

Thanks,

 

Spoon!

[magellan315]

I'd find out who the land manager is they should be able to help you with disposal issues.

 

As far as getting the tires out of the immediate area, it sounds like there is a bridge over the stream. Could you set a a rope amd pulley and hoist the tires and other trash to the bridge and then easily move it by hand or with wagons/wheel barrels?

[+MissJenn]

From another thread:

 

I would contact the nearest trash transfer station where you plan on disposing of everthing and follow their advice. Sometimes they collect and hold them for tire recyclers, other times they require you to get them to a tire recycler. It varies depending on where you are.

 

Salvelinus

[+MissJenn]

I did a Google search with "how to recycle tires" and got quite a number of hits. Some of them were even useful.

 

As an example, here is a possible lead in Pennsylvania:

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/wm_apps/RecyclingLocations/

First, you selct the material you want to recycle. Then you select your county. The problem is, most of the results I found in a cursory search gave locations taht charge $3 - $10 per tire brought in.

Sacramento, CA has an entire page devoted to "How Do I Recycle or Dispose of Tires?"

http://www.msa.saccounty.net/sacgreenteam/recycle/tires.htm

 

The Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide published a "Tire Recycling Information (Science Memo)" with lots of links that might be helpful, too.

http://www.elaw.org/resources/text.asp?id=2700

 

 

I hope other people do post some more ideas!

[+FlatEarthSociety]

I checked out an incredible cache yesterday in Corona, it would have been better without the numerous tires. The tires and trash people dump down this huge grade into a small stream, it's sad. To have it removed looked strenuous.

[andylphoto]

Also check with local tire shops, as being in the industry, they will get a discount on tire disposal. Some smaller shops with friendly owners may pass that savings along, especially if they know it's for a good cause.

 

Locally, the transfer station charges $5 per tire for disposal. There is a tire shop I frequent that only charges $2 per tire. I asked him once about the price difference. He said that being a shop, he is only charged $1 per tire, so he can charge less to accept tires from the public and still make it worth his while.

 

I'd say get an estimate on the number of tires, and work with a shop. Let them know you have X number of tires, that they're not yours, and you're cleaning up a site...see if someone will work with you and give you a good rate on disposal.

[LosersWeepers?]

If there's a Keep America Beautiful Affiliate or Great American Cleanup participating organization, you're in luck. Firestone Complete Auto Care, as a sponsor of Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, agrees to recycle one million tires nationwide, FOR FREE. GAC happens every year from March 1 to May 31.

 

Find out if you have a an affiliate or a participating organization by going to these sites:

 

Affiliate: http://www.kab.org/veiwaffil.asp?id=171&rid=176

 

GAC P.O.: http://www.kab.org/Participate.asp?id=252&rid=253

 

Finding a P.O. may be easier than finding an affiliate. For example, I am working on getting the affiliation for the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council in the Blackstone Valley of Rhode Island. We aren't an affiliate yet, but we are a participating organization.

 

I would suggest contacting the affiliate or P.O. to see if they have contacted Firestone or have worked with Firestone in the past. If they haven't, you may prompt them in doing so. If they have, you probably have a greater chance of getting them involved in your CITO/tire recycling.

 

BVTC uses Firestone every year to recycle tires found on the Blackstone River. It's great to get rid of the tires without having to pay for them. One downside: depending on the circumstances, they may only accept tires without the rim/wheel. Contact a junkyard/auto recycling place to see if they can take the tires on wheels. Most of them can get money for the metal.

 

Good luck! Feel free to contact me with questions!

 

-Kristin

[+gunpowder]

You can send them to the land fill. Here I have to cut them along the side wall so I have two flat donuts. Then take the tread and cut it in half. That keeps them from coming to the surface in the landfill.

[+LSUFan]

My company is a licensed waste tire processor in the state of Louisiana. Each state has a different set of rules as to what can go where, how much, etc. etc. Some states will require you to have tire transporting permits and documentation, depending on how many tires you plan to move. This is something you will need to look into.

 

The best place to always start for information is your states Department of Environmental Quality, or equivalent agency, depending on what name it goes by. These are usually who administer the waste tire programs for each state. A lot of times, this information can be found online.

 

Some states will allow tires, that are no longer whole, to be buried in their landfills, while some won't allow it at all. The reason a tire has to be cut, sliced, chipped, shredded, etc.......is that it can trap air (and methane gas from decomposing garbage) in a landfill. Believe it or not, tires can burn underground if they have trapped air and/or methane gas. A landfill is just a big compost pile and heats up. Once a tire burns, is when it becomes dangerous. It has several carcinogens in the smoke and the chemicals that will leach from it.

 

Hope this helps anybody who wants to dispose of tires in whichever state they reside.

[+MissJenn]

The reason a tire has to be cut, sliced, chipped, shredded, etc.......is that it can trap air (and methane gas from decomposing garbage) in a landfill. Believe it or not, tires can burn underground if they have trapped air and/or methane gas.

I had no idea! Wow.

[+LSUFan]

The reason a tire has to be cut, sliced, chipped, shredded, etc.......is that it can trap air (and methane gas from decomposing garbage) in a landfill. Believe it or not, tires can burn underground if they have trapped air and/or methane gas.

I had no idea! Wow.

 

I wish I still had the pics from the recycling magazine we used to have that showed flames shooting up from a road in WA state. They had tire chips burning underground and underneath a brand new road, where they had used the chips for road bed filler. It caused shock waves throughout our entire industry, and actually killed many civil engineering projects that were to include tire chips.

 

I did an internet search and was able to find the following. If you're curious, you can scroll down near the bottom, and read about it.

 

http://www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/rubber.htm#12

[+misterp_otc]

Hi Spoon,

 

I am a new geocacher but have been an ATV rider for a while. Contact your local atv riders and ask that they help with the clean up effort. you can look for state atv clubs. those guys are always looking for an excuse to ride.

 

misterp_otc

[+Trucker Lee]

In that this is along a roadway, check with the local office of the PA Highway Dept. Abandoned tires are a big problem for all areas, and they may have contacts that can help you get rid of these at minimal or no charge. Also, for safety sake, they may loan you the use of some cones and a flashing light to help slow and move over traffic along the road while your crew is working.

 

As for retrieving up a steep grade, if someone in your group has a winch, loop a sturdy chain around a tire (the bigger the better) and hook to itself. Pass the chain through more tires, then hook to the cable.

[+Spoon!]

Hi Spoon,

 

I am a new geocacher but have been an ATV rider for a while. Contact your local atv riders and ask that they help with the clean up effort. you can look for state atv clubs. those guys are always looking for an excuse to ride.

 

misterp_otc

 

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep that in mind for the next time. Unfortunately (for the cleanup idea anyway), I have moved out of the area and will not be able to organize anything for that particular site in Seven Tubs. Who knows what I will find here in my new area, so keep those ideas comin'!

[+Spoon!]

In that this is along a roadway, check with the local office of the PA Highway Dept. Abandoned tires are a big problem for all areas, and they may have contacts that can help you get rid of these at minimal or no charge. Also, for safety sake, they may loan you the use of some cones and a flashing light to help slow and move over traffic along the road while your crew is working.

 

As for retrieving up a steep grade, if someone in your group has a winch, loop a sturdy chain around a tire (the bigger the better) and hook to itself. Pass the chain through more tires, then hook to the cable.

 

Thanks, Trucker Lee! I used to know a bunch of people with Jeeps and winches, and I thought of this same mode of attack. It definitely would have required traffic control, though, as the access point for the vehicles would have been along Route 115, which is quite busy - with high speed and sharp turns. Not a safe combo for people working along the shoulder! Maybe some other cachers in the area will take this idea and run with it - Seven Tubs is too nice an area to be a tire dump!