Due to the large volume produced and their durability, tires are among the largest and most problematic sources of waste. Yet, if recycled, they can also be one of the most re-used waste materials, as the rubber is very resilient and can be reused in other products like basketball courts, asphalt, and new athletic shoes. Roughly one tire per person per year is generated in the United States. That’s over 308 million tires per year!

When tires go to BuRRT for recycling, they are loaded on a trailer and transported to State Rubber in Denver City, Texas. State Rubber shreds the tires and produces crumb rubber to use for other applications.
Scrap tires take up a lot of space in the landfill, causing it to fill up faster which cost everyone more money. It can also cause problems with the landfill covers due to their uneven settlement and tendency for tires to rise to the surface.
If you have a pile of tires in your backyard or neighborhood, get together with your neighbors to clean it up. The curved shape of a tire allows rainwater to collect and creates an ideal habitat for rodents and mosquitoes. Stockpiled tires are also prone to heat retention and can ignite. Tire fires are difficult to extinguish and can burn for months, generating unhealthy smoke and toxic oils.