Used, spent, or scrap tires are a contributing source of litter pollution across the City of Mobile.
According to EPA’s website, tire fires are majorly hazardous because they can pollute the surrounding area’s air, water, and soil. A single tire can produce approximately two gallons of oil each when burned and for every million tires burned, about 55,000 gallons of runoff oil is produced, which can heavily pollute the environment.
Additionally, tires are highly flammable, and extinguishing a tire fire is incredibly difficult. Water or foam do not easily extinguish a tire fire. Sand is usually the best option, but is difficult to manage, especially when attempting to extinguish large piles of tires that are in flames.
The question is, how do we solve the littering from scrap tires problem?
In 2003, the Alabama Scrap Tire Environmental Quality Act was passed to regulate scrap tire accumulations and to provide for the cleanup and remediation of illegal piles of scrap tires. The bill allowed for a $1 per tire fee on every new tire, establishing a fund for cleaning up old tire piles and creating systems to avoid new ones. The bill also charged our state agency, ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental Management), with new plans and rules to stop the dumping and accumulation of scrap tire piles.
Every “receiver” or business that collects, generates or accumulates scrap tires must register with the state. Each receiver must pay the $1 fee for each new, used, or retreaded replacement, along with a long list of other responsibilities.
Occasionally, businesses that handle any quantity of scrap tires do not follow the proper procedures to save money or cut down on paperwork. That can result in the illegal dumping of tires.
Individuals buy one tire and don’t recognize that those tires can’t go on the curb for City trash collection. The City of Mobile does NOT pick up tires on Residential Trash pickup days.
Folks don’t know where they can take their tires, so here’s a list.
*Transporting more than eight scrap tires (8) at one time can require registration as a “Transporter” per ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental Management) rules. While some of the above facilities will take more tires at one time, we highly recommend not transporting more than eight (8) tires at one time.
How does the City of Mobile help to reduce scrap tire littering?
The City of Mobile does NOT have the funding for a dedicated tire collection and hauling program.
We support organized community cleanups where tires are collected if there is enough advanced notice provided. Click HERE to learn how to organize a community cleanup.
More helpful local information about tires and tire pollution:
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