Wondering what to do with those old tires? Why not help build a playground?!
With proper disposal through the Tire Stewardship BC, used tires can be transformed into valuable products, which can be put to great use in your community.
Most tires are recycled into crumb rubber – granules of rubber with the steel and fibre removed – which is then used to create a variety of products, including running tracks, playground surfacing and colourful, resilient flooring in recreational facilities. You’ll also find your former all-seasons given a new life as flooring and mats for agricultural and industrial use, and as coloured landscaping mulch.
How successful is the program here in BC?
Since 1991 more than 90,000,000 tires have been recycled – and upcycled – in BC!
And many of those tires have been reimagined into feature elements of 300+ community spaces throughout the province – projects created using recycled rubber supported by a TSBC grant.
While consumers typically return old tires to the retailer when purchasing new ones, if you have tires at home, look for TSBC recycling events – like the Tire Round-Up coming to Mission from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 22 – or take advantage of the year-round Return to Retailer program to ensure tires don’t end up in landfills.
Consumers can drop off up to four passenger light truck tires, clean and off rim, year-round during business hours at over 800 retailers across BC. Find a location near you using the Recycling Council of BC’s Recyclepedia App or visiting rcbc.ca.
Tires are recycled right here at home
All scrap tires collected are processed right here in BC, with much of the crumb produced by the recycler used by an Abbotsford recycled rubber mat manufacturer.
They do bike tires, too!
TSBC’s efforts aren’t limited to vehicle tires. In 2018, the organization also recycled more than 91,000 bike tires and tubes, a free program possible thanks to the voluntary efforts of consumers, bike retailers and tire retailers.
Other partnerships connect TSBC with other BC stewardship programs, including those working with Indigenous communities, and other tire recycling programs across Canada, with the goal of sharing information and expertise.
Learn more at tsbc.ca
