There are fewer tires bound for landfills, illegal dump sites and backyards and instead are headed for roads and playgrounds. Residents of Valley Center and surrounding unincorporated areas in San Diego County turned in 980 old worn out tires during a free tire recycling event May 14. Tires collected during the free “Tire Amnesty-Day” events are ground up and recycled for rubberized asphalt concrete for paving our County roadways and used on playgrounds, among other applications.
 Since the State banned disposal of whole tires at landfills in California in 1993, the County of San Diego has offered amnesty days and public education for recycling and disposal of tires funded partially through state grants. Five amnesty events have been held in other unincorporated communities in the past several months, collecting 3.994 tires from residents. Tires recycled in California are used to produce tire shreds and crumbs for new products, recycled in rubberized asphalt concrete, used in civil engineering applications, or combusted as fuel.
Illegally abandoned tires continue to be a problem throughout the rural areas of the unincorporated area. Tires are an excellent breeding environment for mosquitoes, a known vector for West Nile virus, malaria, and encephalitis. In addition, the threat of fire and further illegal dumping is always a critical concern in the region.
The Valley Center event was held from May 14 at the Valley Center Elementary School parking lot. Residents were allowed to recycle up to nine tires per vehicle - reasonably clean and free of excessive dirt or other foreign matter. At such events, inside tire diameter size is limited to 16.5 inches. Tires mounted on rims are not normally accepted, nor are large truck tires and tires from business or commercial sources.
More tire recycling events are scheduled for the County. Call the County’s Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste at 1-877-R-1-EARTH (1-877-713-2784) for more information.
Tire Recycling Events are sponsored by the County of San Diego Recycling Program with support from various school districts and a grant from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).
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