Rethink What You Do With Your Old Car Tires

You buy new tires, you take care of them as well as you can, you switch them at the appropriate tire-changeover times, but like so many other things, they eventually wear out and it's time to get rid of them and buy new ones. But after you are done with your old tires, what do you do with them?

Throw them in a landfill? No.

Store them in your garage because you don't know what to do with them? No way.

Leave them on the side of the road? Please don't do that.

If you live in Ontario, you can drop off up to four old tires at a time (for free!) at one of the hundreds of the Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) registered collectors who will then ensure that your tires are sent off to be turned into something that can be used again. (If you are not in Ontario, see the list below for info on finding a collector program where you live)

Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) is an Industry Funding Organization (IFO) incorporated under Ontario's Waste Diversion Act, to implement and operate the Used Tires Program. The Used Tires Program is a provincial tire recycling program that diverts tires away from landfills, with help from Ontarians. Through this program, OTS fosters innovation, all the while, reducing environmental impact and creating green jobs in the province.

Take a look at this:

The OTS will take your tires and send them to recyclers who will use them to make many types of sustainable products. Here are a few examples:

• Tire-derived aggregate
• Crumb rubber which is used to make better sports fields, playgrounds, hockey rinks, and more durable quieter roads
• Finished goods including floor mats, rubber mulch, landscape tiles, rubber paving and bricks, roof shingles, and sidewalks, in addition to rubber components for cars and trucks

Take a look at the video on this page to see the process old tires go through in order to be turned into something new.

Thanks to the OTS's hard work on getting tires out of scrap yards and upcycled into new consumer products, Ontario will soon be able to recycle 100% of its used tires. That is great news!

Not in Ontario to take advantage of the OTS's free services? Find a registered collector in your province or territory using the links below. Note that there is a small fee involved in some provinces to recycle your tires.

• British Columbia
• Alberta
• Saskatchewan
• Manitoba and Yukon Territory
• Quebec
• Newfoundland/Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Northwest Territories/Nunavut - No tire recycling programs at this time

Bonus: New Car Tire Suggestions

After you have decided to recycle your tires, there is still the business of purchasing new tires. Here are some suggestions:

Looking for new all-season tires?

• Consider the Ecopia's, an eco-friendly car tire.
• Check out the brand new DriveGuard tires (also an eco tire) that gives drivers the ability to continue driving for up to 80 kilometeres (50 miles) if a puncture or loss of pressure should occur. Peace of mind while on the road is always a good thing.

Looking for new winter tires?

• Before you decide on your winter tires, learn some myths and truths about winter tires and read about the unusual ways I tested out the Bridgestone Blizzak WS80's.

Want more tire and car info? Read this article on why you should avoid dry-steering in order to protect your tires and this one that shows you 10 Easy Ways to Make Your Car Eco-Friendly.