Waste Tires: The Bottom Line

December 2013/January 2014 Automotive Recyclers of Indiana, Inc. (ARI) Association News article by VET Environmental Engineering.  

I wrote this article after attending the CMAR Convention in Gurnee, Illinois.  The event was held at Auto Parts City, Inc., a very impressive facility and amazing hosts! They strive to be “environmentally sensitive” recyclers and it shows in every aspect of their operation.  I was very impressed.  Check out their website at www.apcity.com.

Representatives of both the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) were there and discussed waste tires.  The BIG take home message from this article is the definition of a waste tire.  A waste tire is defined as a tire that is no longer suitable for its original purpose.  This is determined either by tread depth (less than 2/32″ of remaining tread), condition (dry rot or deterioration present), and the manner of storage.  Manner of storage is the least straightforward of the determining factors.  If tires are piled outdoors with vegetation growing through them the tires will be considered waste tires.  The manner of storage must suggest that the tires have value and are able to be sold if the tires are considered to be usable instead of waste tires.  Additionally, tire piles are considered open dumping which is prohibited by Indiana law.

Mind your p’s and q’s with waste tires.  IDEM is hip to the trick of calling a tire pile “good, sellable tires”.  If they don’t have tread, are dry rotted, or have weeds growing through them, it is time for them to go.