Arlington Recycling and Trash Program No Longer Accepting Tires

The Town of Arlington informed residents that its recycling and trash program will no longer be accepting tires as a bulky trash item.

The town said tires left at the curb for collection will be marked with an orange sticker reminding residents of the new policy. Residents can recycle old or unwanted tires at local automotive and tire service centers for a fee, according to the town. It is recommended to call ahead to these locations and ask about prices to have tires recycled.

According to the Town of Arlington, the United States Environmental Protection Agency calculates 290 million tires are disposed of annually, or 2 percent of total solid waste. Tires that are thrown in the trash are often burned, rendering the material useless for any other use.

Rubber in used tires can be recycled and used to manufacture numerous materials, including track and field surfaces, playground safety surfacing and even composite decking material, the town said.

According the EPA, “the use of ground rubber from scrap tires in highways is the largest single use of recycled rubber. Currently 12 million scrap tires per year are used in highways.”

If residents do not want to pay to have tires recycled, there are plenty of great uses for them to let them live another day.

(Photo via Flickr)