Don't Throw Tires Away!

The other day I happened to watch a man roll two tires down the street and into a dumpster. I'm sure he knows better. He just doesn't care. I don't know of any location in which it is legal to throw tires away. It just should not be done. In the following passages, I will briefly explain why it is not good to throw tires away, and the proper way to get rid of them.

Tires, like plastic bags, simply do not biodegrade very quickly. In fact, extremely slowly. They just keep taking up space in our landfills. They ignore the compactors in the trash trucks, of course, and so they arrive at the landfill just as they left the vehicle - large, useless rubber things.

In fact, in most areas it is illegal to throw tires in the trash. In our efforts to turn into a "Greener" society, we recognize that tires taking up space at the dump just isn't a great way to preserve the planet. You will have to check your local areas to see what the fine or other punishment is, but in most places it is indeed actionable.

When it comes time to dispose of your tires, simply take them down to any used or new tire shop. Yes, they might charge you a nominal disposal fee (it is usually literally one dollar), but then it is out of your hands and you have done your part for the environment. You won't have to deal with nasty looks from the people who know you junk tires, and you won't have to worry about an officer knocking on your door with his pad and pen out, asking questions.

To avoid both throwing away and properly disposing of their old tires, many people seem to just dump them either in fields or on the side of the road. Behavior like that has to change or we are definitely in trouble. It's time to stop being selfish and take the proper steps toward the solution of a problem. The Earth isn't simply your dumping ground. It is high time we all took better care.

So, the next time you get new tires, please drop the old ones off at a tire shop and pay the small fee so that they can be properly disposed of. And if you see someone chucking old tires into the trash, maybe mention to them that it's not only extremely selfish and rude to do so, but also illegal.