What to do with old tires: 3 wrong options and 3 right ones

Wrong: bury or burn

Formally, tires are considered low-hazard waste - they are classified in the Federal Waste Classification Catalog Federal classification catalog of waste to IV hazard class along with polyethylene for bags and fresh manure. But the rubber compound from which the tires are made contains A review of the potential health and safety risks from synthetic turf fields containing crumb rubber infill / The Official Website of the City of New York toxins and carcinogens: phenols, nitrosamines, formaldehyde, benzopyrene, sulfur dioxide, carbon disulfide, styrene, toluene.

The decomposition of car tires in the soil requires The largest tire dump in the world / Green Power over 100 years. And if you burn them, they will get into the atmosphere Zhendi Wang, Kaitian Li Wuhan, P. Lambert, Chun Yang. Identification, characterization and quantitation of pyrogenic polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons and other organic compounds in tire fire products / Journal of Chromatography A biphenyl, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene and other hazardous components.

It is a crime to burn, bury or dump tires. For violation you can receive a fine of up to 5 thousand rubles. The amount is relatively small, and the damage to the environment is huge.

Correct: hand over for recycling

Recycling old tires saves natural resources: raw rubbers (the basis for making rubber), as well as water and electricity. Most often, used tires are crushed and added to rubber compounds. They are used to produce new tires, roofing and waterproofing materials, road surfaces and industrial sorbents that help fight oil spills.

Wrong: throw it into the trash bin

Tires should not be disposed of in regular waste containers, because such waste forbidden bury in ordinary landfills. If tires end up in a landfill, they will decompose much longer than ordinary household waste, and become a haven for rats and other pests.

Tires can catch fire in hot weather. They burn for a very long time, with thick clouds of black smoke, and harmful substances are carried by wind and rain to fields, vegetable gardens - or to someone's home.

That's right: sell

If you switched to a different standard size or just wanted a new kit - more comfortable and not so noisy, you can take a picture of the old rubber and put it up on the site of free ads. The main thing is that it has a good tread rest. According to the traffic rules of the Russian Federation for passenger cars, the minimum depth of the pattern is 1.6 mm, but it is better to focus on the erasure marks that are applied to the tire itself.

Also carefully inspect the tire for cracks, hernias, and other defects before selling. If something is wrong, it is better to refuse the deal and not put the buyer at risk. And also other people who will be near him if the tire bursts.

Wrong: equip a flower bed, fence or garden furniture

Housing and communal services art comes from the USSR - flowerbeds of tires painted with bright oil paint, swans, bears and half-wheel fences that were fun to run on as a child. But rubber slowly decomposes in the soil, releasing hazardous substances. The upper, aerial part of the tire, heated under the rays of the sun, can also release toxins. You probably won't want to inhale them every day.

For the same reason, you should not make garden furniture out of old wheels. It is sturdy and cheap, but unsafe. Using wooden pallets or pallets for these purposes is much more environmentally friendly.

Correct: exchange old tires for new ones with a surcharge

Sometimes manufacturers and auto dealerships offer discounts on new tires in exchange for an old set. For some companies, this is a marketing campaign and a way to attract new customers. For others, it is the desire to work more environmentally.

Most often, assembled tires are sent for recycling - at least that's what big companies do. But if you are not sure where your tires will go, it is better to clarify this point before taking advantage of the discount.