Health department now offers free tire disposal
Bringing the tires in to a central location for safe disposal is a win-win for both residents and the health department’s environmental concerns.
At some point many have tires that are no longer needed: worn-out tires from cars, bikes, mowers and trailers. This becomes a problem as they are not legally disposable by the usual means. They also tend to become a public health hazard. Discarded haphazardly, old tires collect water and quickly provide habitat for mosquitoes and other insect menaces.
The New Philadelphia Health Department has begun a tire collection service meant to help mitigate the twin problems of tire disposal and insect habitat. Any private individual who has extra tires can call the health department to schedule a drop-off Thursdays from 1-4 p.m. at the New Philadelphia City Garage. Up to 10 tires per person per year will be accepted at no charge.
The project is a joint venture between the New Philadelphia Health Department and the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Recycling District, said Zachary Phillips, director of environmental health at the health department. “We are starting this kind of open ended. We’re hoping it will become a permanent service.”
The effort is funded by the recycling district.
“The problem with old tires is that you can’t really throw them away,” Phillips said. “They can’t go in the trash or to the landfill. Once you have tires you can no longer use, you’re stuck with them.”
With little to be done to be rid of them, many end up stacked in a garage or shed, taking up space. Some become landscape features, intentionally or not.
“You can’t dispose of them in any usual way because the tires can emit toxins, and they never deteriorate. Left out in the weather, they can quickly fill with water, which they can hold for a long time, becoming a prime breeding ground for generations of mosquitoes.”
Bringing the tires in to a central location for safe disposal is a win-win for both residents and the health department’s environmental concerns.
Phillips said the process for disposing of unwanted tires is simple. Appointments are required and can be set by calling the New Philadelphia Health Department at 330-364-4491 ext. 1206. Bring a valid state driver’s license to your appointment, which will be swiped to keep track of each individual’s yearly tire discards.
Tires will be accepted from personal vehicles and equipment such as passenger cars, light trucks, lawn mowers, all-terrain vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles, and three- and four-wheel vehicles.
Commercial tires, oversized tires, farm tires and other heavier duty types are not eligible for the program. They can be on or off their rims. State law limits the number of tires one may transport at once to 10.
“After that, they are taken to the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Recycling District, where they will be recycled in any one of several ways,” Phillips said.
The project is funded by the district, with no cost to the City of New Philadelphia.
“The main thing is to get these discarded tires out of circulation and safely dealt with,” Phillips said. “This program should be a help to people in the community who are trying to get rid of their unwanted tires in the right way but can’t find anyone to take them.”
Visit the New Philadelphia Health Department website at www.newphilaoh.com/environmental-health-programs. The New Philadelphia Health Department Environmental Health Office is at 150 E. High Ave. in New Philadelphia.