They are an eyesore, potentially dangerous and difficult to get rid of.
If you are thinking “mother-in-law,” shame on you.
The United States produces approximately 280 million waste tires each year. Without proper disposal options, tires left abandoned along roadways or other public spaces are not only eyesores, but can be a danger to public health. It can take hundreds of years for a tire to decompose. They are also combustible. Tire fires are difficult to extinguish and can burn far longer than most waste products.
Because water often collects in tires, they are breeding grounds for mosquitoes while providing cover for rodents, snakes and other pests.
The problems are exacerbated in places where they are banned by garbage collection services in many cities and counties. Many landfills — including those in the Golden Triangle — won’t accept them, either.
Fortunately, tires can be recycled. In fact, about 81% of waste tires are recycled, preventing an estimated approximately 19 million tons of CO2 emissions annually in the U.S. The energy recovery from recycled tires in the U.S. saves approximately 1.6 billion gallons of gasoline annually.
So, if you live in Columbus and are stuck with a tire or two or 30, Saturday presents an opportunity to dispose of them with a minimum of effort.
This weekend, Keep Columbus Beautiful will work with residents and volunteers from the public works department to collect tires throughout the city and dispose of them at Waste Pro for the third annual Tired of Tires drive. Code Enforcement Officer Sasha James introduced the idea of a tire drive to KCB in 2023 during a workshop and has helped organize the event ever since. James said the purpose of the drive is to not only clean up the city, but educate its citizens about the potential dangers associated with illegally dumped tires.
The drive will run from 8-11 a.m. Saturday. Anyone living within city limits can call (662) 205-6419 before Saturday morning to request their tires be picked up, with a limit of 30 tires per household. Residents must leave the tires next to the roadway to be retrieved.
Volunteers will meet at 7:45 a.m. Saturday in the Columbus Police Department training room at 1601 Main St., before fanning out across the wards to collect tires into pickup trucks and trailers to dispose of them at Waste Pro, located at 1600 12th Ave. S. KCB would like to have 75 volunteers to collect the tires. Those with trucks and trailers are particularly encouraged to volunteer. Volunteers must have a Columbus driver’s license or ID to participate. If you can lend a hand, call KCB President Lakeysucha Bailey at (662) 205-6419.
So whether you have tires or time to dispose of, we urge Columbus residents to participate in Saturday’s tire drive.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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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.
