Tires that are improperly disposed of release toxic chemicals into the ground, are serious fire hazards and breeding grounds for mosquitoes, aside from ruining the aesthetic of an area. So, how can you safely get rid of them?
Keep Columbus Beautiful is hosting a Community Tire Drop-off to provide residents with a free and convenient way to properly dispose of unwanted tires from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at six locations all over the city.
“Roll-off dumpsters will be placed throughout the city so residents can bring their tires to the nearest location,” Lakeysucha Bailey, president of Keep Columbus Beautiful, wrote in an email to The Dispatch.
This is the first time KCB has hosted a drop off event, and it will be in addition to the annual tire pick up event the group hosts each fall, where residents can have tires picked up by volunteers, Bailey said.
“It is in partnership with Waste Pro, and the difference between the two events is the residents will actually take their tires to their nearest dumpster site,” Bailey said.
The six dumpsters will be at 1520 College St., 222 Lawrence Drive, 402 Second Ave. N., 2535 Main St., 300 Tuscaloosa Road and 299 Marguerite Drive. City councilmen identified a site in each of their wards for the dumpsters, Bailey said.
Bailey said KCB saw a need to add another annual tire drive due to the amount of tires that are still improperly disposed of and because of feedback that the pick up events are not accessible for all residents.
Nathan Katona, the city’s building department director, said improperly-disposed-of tires often become the city’s responsibility to clean up, which results in additional taxpayer funds being spent.
“What people do, unfortunately, is they’ll find dead end roads or abandoned sections where there’s no houses, and they just dump tires into the drains, the forest, anywhere like that,” Katona said.
These drives are a way for the city to work together with the community and KCB to create a solution and avoid using the city’s resources to give residents violations, Katona said.
Bailey said KCB usually collects at least 1,000 tires during their tire pick up events. For the inaugural Community Tire Drop-Off, she said she hopes to set a new record for the most tires KCB has ever collected, with 1,000 tires being the threshold this time.
Looking forward, Bailey said KCB is researching the possibility of recycling the tires they collect to be used for mulch or rubber chips.
“We know there’s a cost associated with (recycling tires), so we’re looking for grants, if possible, and… anybody out there, who knows of any type of funding, or programs that we can participate in to help to get this out there,” Bailey said.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
