An additional 270 million tires become scrap tires every year. Illegal or improper dumping and stockpiling of scrap tires pose serious health and environmental risks. Tire piles provide a breeding ground for rodents and mosquitoes, and are susceptible to fire from arson, lightning, and even spontaneous combustion. Tire pile fires are extremely polluting and difficult to extinguish. Because of these problems, nearly every state has some form of scrap tire management regulations, including charges for tire disposal.
Many states also offer financial incentives for using scrap tires in products.
Most states ban disposal of whole tires in landfills. While these regulations generally increase tire disposal costs, which has led to an increase in illegal dumping in some areas, they have also increased the overall reuse and recycling of tires. We can all reduce the number of tires scrapped each year by maintaining proper tire pressure, rotation schedules, correct wheel balance and alignment, and by avoiding excessive acceleration and braking. These practices maximize tire life and performance, and also reduce vehicle fuel consumption and increase safety. Many people replace tires before it is actually necessary, doing so when another tire on the vehicle needs replacing.