Where Can You Dispose of Old Tires?

You can't just toss old tires in with your regular trash, and most landfills won't bury them even if you tried. You'll need a transfer station, a tire retailer, or a county collection event, and you should expect a small per-tire fee, typically $3 to $5 for a standard passenger tire without the rim.

Why tires are banned from regular landfills

This isn't arbitrary red tape. Whole tires cause real problems once they're buried.

They trap methane. As waste breaks down underground, it produces methane gas that needs to escape or be captured. A tire's round, hollow shape traps pockets of that gas underneath it, which can build up pressure and slowly push the tire back toward the surface over time, sometimes years later.

They float upward. Because of that trapped gas and their low density relative to compacted trash, buried tires have a nasty habit of rising back up through the layers of a landfill, a phenomenon regulators call tire uplift. That can break through the landfill's cap and liner system, which is exactly what those systems exist to prevent.

They breed mosquitoes. A pile of tires collects rainwater in each one, and standing water is prime real estate for mosquito breeding, including species that carry disease. This alone is enough of a public health concern that most states restrict stockpiling tires in the open, not just burying them.

Because of all this, nearly every state either bans or heavily restricts whole tires in landfills and requires them to be shredded, recycled, or processed separately.

Illegal dumping is a bigger problem than it sounds

Because tires cost money to dispose of properly and are heavy to haul, they're one of the most commonly dumped items on rural roadsides, in ditches, and in vacant lots. States take this seriously enough that most have dedicated cleanup funds paid for by a small fee tacked onto every legal tire sale, precisely to cover the cost of hauling away illegally dumped piles later. Some states also run "most wanted" style enforcement for large-scale illegal dumpers, since a pile of a few hundred tires is a genuine fire and health hazard, not just an eyesore. Knowing that fee already funds cleanup can make the $3 to $5 drop-off charge feel a little less like a rip-off.

What it actually costs

Typical per-tire fees at transfer stations and landfills that accept them:

• Passenger car tire, no rim: $3 to $5
• Tire still mounted on the rim: more than the base fee, since the rim has to be pulled before the tire can be processed
• Semi truck tire: $12 to $15
• Tractor or heavy equipment tire: $30 to $50, given the size and the amount of rubber involved

These are typical ranges and vary by facility, so don't assume the site down the road charges what the last one did. Not every facility takes tires at all, so check what a location accepts before you load them up. Look up what's accepted near you before making the trip.

Where to take them

Transfer stations and landfills. Many, though not all, accept tires for the per-tire fee above. Some cap how many you can bring per visit before you need a commercial account, so if you're hauling four or five, call first.

Tire retailers, when you buy new ones. If you're replacing your tires anyway, most shops will take the old ones off your hands as part of the swap, often for a few dollars per tire tacked onto the invoice, sometimes for free. Usually the cheapest and easiest option if the timing lines up.

County tire amnesty days. A lot of counties run periodic tire collection events, sometimes called amnesty days, where residents can drop off a set number of tires free of charge. These are usually funded by state environmental programs specifically because illegally dumped tire piles are such a persistent problem. Check your county's website or browse facilities by state for upcoming dates and locations.

A few tires or a truckload

If you've got one or two tires from a flat that couldn't be patched, any of the options above work fine. If you're clearing out a garage, a rental property, or a farm with a pile that's built up over years, call ahead. Facilities sometimes limit the number of tires per visit or want advance notice for a large drop-off, and a dedicated tire recycler may actually beat a landfill's per-tire price once you're past a handful.

Whatever you do, don't leave them at the curb or dump them in a field. Beyond it being illegal in pretty much every jurisdiction, you're creating exactly the mosquito-breeding, fire-hazard mess these rules exist to prevent, and it costs a lot more to clean up later than the $3 to $5 it takes to drop one off properly today.

What if you can't lift them yourself

Tractor and heavy equipment tires can weigh several hundred pounds each, well beyond what one person should try to muscle into a truck bed alone. Some facilities offer a pickup or hauling service for a fee if you can't transport them yourself, and equipment dealers sometimes handle disposal directly when they service or replace tires on the machine. If you're dealing with farm or construction equipment tires, it's often easier and safer to ask the dealer or a tire service company to take the old ones when they mount the new set, rather than trying to haul them yourself.

Before you go

Confirm the facility actually takes tires before you drive over, since not every transfer station does. Ask about the per-tire fee for your specific type, rim or no rim, passenger or heavy equipment, since it varies more than you'd expect. If you're bringing more than a handful, mention that on the phone; some sites cap walk-in quantities. And keep cash on you in case the site doesn't run cards.