Free Used Tire Collection March 28

Have some old tires that you need to toss?  On Saturday. March 28, the Fairfield County Department of Health will take them for no cost.

The event runs from 9 am to noon at the Lancaster Transfer Station, 743 South Ewing Street in Lancaster.

There are some restrictions: you need to show proof that you live in Fairfield County, the tires must be from passenger vehicles like cars and trucks (no tractor tires) and you can’t drop off more than ten tires.

Fairfield Department of Health Administrator Larry Hanna said that the collection day is a first for the county, but that a similar event may be held in 2021.  Tires are difficult to dispose of and when left outside they pose a health risk to the community.

“Trash haulers do not usually pick up tires,” Hanna said. “Some may but they charge extra for disposal.”

Per the Federal Environmental Protection Agency website, “Each tire in a yard, if improperly stored, can become a breeding ground for thousands of mosquitoes which can carry life-threatening diseases such as dengue fever, West Nile virus and various forms of encephalitis.

The design of tires provides an ideal nursery for mosquito larvae. Tires fill with water after a rainstorm and retain the water as some of the inside areas of the tires are shaded continuously, preventing evaporation of the trapped water. Tires are somewhat insulated and retain heat for long periods of time that speeds up mosquito egg hatching and larval growth. They also collect leaf litter and debris that provides nutrition for the larvae.”

The EPA also recommends that drainage holes be drilled into the bottom of tire swings.

Hanna said that the tires collected by the county will be given to Liberty Tire Recycling. 

According to Liberty’s website the company processes old tires into raw material that can be then used for products such as mulch, asphalt and surfaces for playgrounds and athletics.