How To Dispose of Car Tyres

Time for some new tyres? Great! But what about the old ones? This exact thought process is experienced by every driver at some point in their lives… the dreaded tyre replacement.

Although many car owners fret about where to dispose of their old tyres, tyre disposal shouldn’t be a concern — especially since it has never been easier.

In this blog, we’ll run you through everything you need to know about tyre disposal — from how to know when your tyres are due a replacement, to where to take your old ones — so the next time you need new tyres, you’ll know just what to do.

How to know when your tyres need replacing

In the UK, there are legal requirements when it comes to tyres. If your tyres are too worn down (or have a tread depth below 1.6mm) you could face charges.

That’s why it's important to regularly monitor your tyre tread and replace your tyres if necessary. As a rule of thumb, we usually suggest that every driver familiarises themselves with the 20p test. This test measures the depth of your tyre tread using the rim of a 20p coin for quick, accurate results.

Other things you can do to monitor your tyres’ condition include checking for damage, tyre pressure inspections, and regular tyre maintenance. Or, if you’re not confident with tyre monitoring yourself, book in for a free tyre check with Kwik Fit for some advice.

No matter how you check, though, if you find cuts, scrapes, excessive wear, or even punctures, it is time to replace your old tyres with something new.

The environment

Used tyres have a reputation for being notoriously bad for the environment. A common sight at the side of roads or on fly-tipping sites, old tyres are often not disposed of as they should be.

This is generally because old tyres are known to be difficult to recycle since they are made of steel, rubber, and textile. Recycling tyres is a lengthy process that involves the separation and disintegration of the rubber. What is known as ‘rubber crumb’ finds alternative uses in carpet underlay, sports tracks, and roof tiles.

Nevertheless, despite the difficulties of recycling tyres, drivers and tyre manufacturers like Continental have been taking more accountability for the sustainable disposal of tyres.

Hopefully, after reading this article, you’ll be clued up as to how to dispose of your tyres responsibly too.

Better solutions

Since 2006, it has been illegal to send out-of-use tyres to landfill under the EU Landfill Directive. As a result of this decree, tyres need to be either recycled or disposed of correctly. Luckily, nowadays there are many different methods of tyre disposal that are simple, hassle-free, and not bad for the environment.

Recycling Centres

Recycling centres are undoubtedly the most eco-friendly way of disposing of your old car tyres.

Depending on where you live, there should be a local recycling scheme in place, or at the very least, a recycling centre where you can drop off your tyres. Usually, however, this comes with a fee.

Using Kent as an example, their tyre recycling scheme only allows 5 tyres to be deposited per visit, charges £2.50 per tyre, and specifies that they will only accept car and motorcycle tyres. Check your local household waste recycling centre for its own tyre disposal guidelines. You can use the postcode location search here to find out the nearest tyre recycling centre to you. For more information, visit Recyclenow.com.

Repurpose them yourself

If you’re feeling green-fingered, you could always recycle your tyres in a more innovative way. Old tyres make excellent garden planters when filled with soil or great boundary markers if painted white.

Find out more about the sustainability of tyres in our blog.

Garages

Reputable garages should offer their customers a way to recycle their old tyres when purchasing new ones. At Kwik Fit, we make sure that each tyre is accounted for and will happily recycle your old tyres when you buy new ones from our range of tyre manufacturers

Dos and Don'ts

So, to sum up what we've learnt about tyre disposal, here’s a simple list of Dos and Don'ts:

Do

• Repurpose your tyres for eco-friendly purposes
• Contact garages like Kwik Fit to see if they can recycle your tyres for you
• Visit your local household waste recycling centre to drop off your tyres

Don't

• Fly-tip your tyres in public places
• Burn your tyres
• Send your tyres to landfill
• Ignore the signs that your tyres need replacing and drive illegally

If you have any further questions about the condition of disposal of your tyres, get in touch with the experts at your local Kwik Fit centre.