Where to find old tyres

In tropical countries they fill with water and become a paradise for breeding mosquitoes, making them a serious health risk. Tyre dumps are a fire risk, and burning tyres are notoriously hard to deal with.

A valley full of 10 million tyres caught fire near Knighton in Wales in It took months to put the fire out, and then it smouldered until — an impressive 15 years. So landfill is a bad idea. Besides, dumping them loses the materials and energy they contain. But since they burn, maybe that gives us an obvious solution — incinerate them to generate electricity, or for heat in steelworks or cement kilns.

Where they displace coal, tyres could arguably be considered a greener option. But they do produce other pollutants, some of which are a health risk. There are a number of ways to reuse the materials in tyres, and since the EU banned sending tyres to landfill, a whole lot of research and development has gone into it.

Lots of new businesses have emerged that treat end of life tyres as a resource. One of the more common is the rubberised surfaces used in playgrounds and running tracks. There are only so many of these in the world though. With mountains of ELTs to get through, we need large scale uses — like road building.

Ground up tyres are now regularly used in asphalt, and there are several advantages. Another potential customer is the railways. Recycled rubber pads can be fitted under railway or tram tracks to reduce noise and vibration. Switzerland has been doing this since the 70s. This reduces demand for concrete and ballast, and they run quieter too. In the hierarchy of waste strategies, recycling come after reuse, and many tyres are already retread and sold on. Retreading has been possible for a while, and the technology to do it is better than ever.

Unfortunately, public perception of remanufacturing is a problem. Taxis and commercial fleets use them. The general public are more sceptical. Regulation varies around the world, and nobody wants to drive on inferior tyres, but in Britain retreads have to meet exactly the same standards as new tyres.

Old tyres can be recycled in many ways; the important step that you can do is to bring them to recycling or upcycling facilities. When old tyres reach such a facility, they are first disassembled by heating and grounding into tiny rubber crumbs.

They can then be reused to produce rubberised asphalt concrete, playground turf, rubber mats, and many more. Recycling centres increased tremendously over the last few years due to the government's efforts in reducing and eliminating landfills and pollution. The easiest and most responsible way for you to do is bring your old tyres to an approved tyre recycling facility where they can be recycled, reused, or upcycled.

Many of these facilities have local tyre outlets that may even pay you for old tyres that you turn over to them. You may check your local directories or even try searching CarpartAU for tyre recycling outlets and facilities nearest you. One thing to remember, though, is that while you may find free old tyre disposal services, there will not be a lot out there. Here is a list of some of the top tyre recycling facilities in Australia.

You can either call them or browse their website to see if you can book a pickup for your old tyres. Not all facilities will offer free services, especially if you require picking up of the worn-out tyres. For a wall or hanging planter, simply line the inside of the tyre with a natural liner, fill with soil and plant your favourite flowers or succulents.

Double-up a rope around the tyre as seen in the image above, and either hang on a wall or from a terraced roof, garden fence or a tree! You can also paint the tyres different colours and create a true sense of vibrancy in your outdoor haven. Floor planters can be made by placing a tyre in a desired spot on grass or flowerbeds, fill with soil then you are free to plant away.

Image Source: I Creative Ideas. If you thought that recycling tyres meant just sprucing up an outdoor space, then you would be surprised! You can even create on-trend furniture that brings together a cosy room, such as this lovely indoor pouffe seat. Scrub an old tyre clean, then use thick wool to wrap, tie and knot around the circumference of the tyre. Try to keep the knots to a minimum and to the inside of the tyre.

Use different coloured wool for a vibrant staple piece and add a cushion or blanket to relax in. Image Source: Mum's Grapevine. For an avid DIY enthusiast, these garden chairs are a great summer project. Ad posted 9 days ago. Ad posted 10 days ago. Bedworth, Warwickshire. Ad posted 11 days ago. Old tyres Penicuik, Midlothian. Ad posted 12 days ago. Free Tyres Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire.

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