Tires can be difficult to dispose of, as their presence in landfills causes environmental damage and many people do not know how to recycle tires. Burning tires is not an option for individuals with old tires, as this releases dangerous toxins into the air. Additionally, tires left in landfills can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and rodents. Tires also produce chemical run-off that can enter the water supply and cause other environmental damage over time.
Recycling centers do exist for tires, and many car repair and maintenance companies will take old and unusable tires to such centers. Some services will pick up old tires from individual homes. For many people, this is expensive. But the price of not recycling tires takes its toll on the environment. There are many uses for old tires that can replace the use of harmful substances, which makes tire recycling a beneficial process for everyone.
Recycled tires have a number of uses. They can be made into floors for basketball courts, mulch for playgrounds, tennis shoes and even fuel. Using tires as basketball court floors and mulch cuts down on the unsustainable use of wood products and reduces the number of insects such as wasps that often live in wood mulch. Using tires for fuel is an alternative energy source that can be very beneficial because of the number of tires in landfills.
Old tires can also be recycled at home, by turning them into tire swings or large garden containers, after they have been thoroughly cleaned with a powerful soap to remove all harsh and environmentally unsafe chemicals. Painting a garden tire is a fun project for children, who can also help fill the tire with dirt and flowers to create an attractive garden piece. Tire swings are also a popular use for otherwise unusable tires.
Tire waste is a drain on resources and an environmental danger that often goes unnoticed. Once tires are no longer usable for driving or biking, it is easy to simply throw them away without considering the environmental impact of the action. But the benefits of recycling tires cannot be ignored when it comes time to get new tires for a bike or a car. Talk to a mechanic about the best location for tire recycling.