tires - WKTV Journal

The Kent County Department of Public Works is hosting a tire collection event Nov. 12. (Pxhere.com)

Community members can safely recycle up to 10 passenger tires for free during an event hosted by the Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW).

Kent County residents can drop off their old tires from 8:30-11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Grand Rapids SafeChem location, 1045 Wealthy St. SW. DPW’s resource recovery specialists will be on hand to help unload vehicles and safely dispose of the tires for recycling.

“Whole tires are notoriously difficult to get rid of because they are not accepted by trash pick-up and cannot be disposed in a landfill unless they are shredded,” said Steve Faber, marketing and communications manager of the DPW. “We encourage Kent County residents to take advantage of this collection event to properly dispose of old tires.”

Tire disposal normally costs between $4-6 per tire depending on their size at Kent County DPW facilities. The last free tire collection event hosted by the DPW was in fall 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tires are often found in illegal dumping sites because they are difficult and costly to get rid of. Old tires also serve as breeding grounds for mosquitos and pose fire hazards. All the tires collected on Nov. 12 will be sent to a facility that will process and recycle them into new products, such as playground resurfacing material.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) recently launched a new state program to award grants for entrepreneurs looking to expand ways to reuse old tires. Information about the new Scrap Tire Market Development Grant can be found online.

Old tires are hard to recycle, but Kent County has a free take-back this week.

By Kent County

The Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) Monday. Oct. 14, that community members can safely dispose up to 10 passenger tires for free at either the North Kent Recycling & Waste Center in Rockford and South Kent Recycling & Waste Center in Byron Center. Kent County residents can bring their old tires to either facility during normal business hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Oct. 15-18.

“Whole tires are notoriously difficult to get rid of because they are not accepted by trash pick-up and cannot be disposed in a landfill unless they are shredded,” said Dar Baas, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works. “We encourage Kent County residents to take advantage of this opportunity to properly dispose of old tires.”

The free tire disposal is made possible by a grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). Tire disposal normally costs between $4-6 per tire. All the collected tires will be sent to a facility that will process and recycle them into new products.

The free tire disposal comes at a time when the Kent County Health Department is encouraging residents to protect themselves against mosquito bites due to the recent Eastern Equine Encephali s (EEE) outbreak, a virus that can lead to seizures, coma or even death. Old tires with standing water are a potential mosquito breeding ground. As of Oct. 11, there were 10 human cases of EEE in Michigan. There have been no human cases in Kent County.

“We encourage all residents to take every precaution to protect themselves against mosquito bites,” said Adam London, Health Officer Kent County Health Department. “Removing any potential mosquito breeding ground from your property not only helps protect you and your family, but it also helps protect our community.”

For facility hours, locations and contact information, visit reimaginetrash.org.