Tyre Disposal and Recycling
Responsible tyre disposal is important whether you’ve got a worn-out, flat, or old tyre that can no longer be used on a vehicle. The UK produces 50 million used tyres (around 480,000 tonnes) every year. These are taken off cars, vans, and trucks used for both personal and commercial purposes.
Old tyres are a common waste type produced by commercial garages. Any business with one or more vehicles can find themselves with used tyres to dispose of though, including delivery companies, farms, and factories. Disposing of tyres differs depending on whether they’re from a personal car or if they’re classed as commercial waste.
Find out everything you need to know about tyre disposal and recycling with Business Waste. We can arrange safe removal and disposal of tyres anywhere in the UK. Get a free quote for commercial tyre waste collection and disposal today – contact us online or call 0800 211 8390.
Get a free quote
Get a fast FREE quote for tyre waste collection
- Free quote within 1 hour
- Any type of used tyres
- FREE bins and delivery
- We cover all of the UK
How to dispose of tyres
from your business
Any business should arrange commercial waste collection by licensed waste carriers of any rubbish they produce. This includes if you run a garage that needs to dispose of car tyres of any type and amount. You can’t use the council or dispose of tyres yourself unless you’re a licensed waste carrier.
The easiest way to dispose of tyres from any business is to arrange collection by a professional waste management company, such as Business Waste. We can organise the removal of any type, size, and number of used tyres from your premises anywhere in the UK at a time that suits your schedule.
Using licensed waste carriers is a legal requirement for commercial tyre disposal. It ensures the waste is removed from your site by licensed professionals and disposed of responsibly. You receive a free duty of care certificate confirming the method of disposal and providing proof of safe and legal management of your commercial tyre waste.
Where to dispose of tyres
from your personal car
Disposing of tyres from a personal vehicle doesn’t follow the same strict guidelines as commercial tyre disposal. However, you can’t recycle car tyres with your household recycling collections or throw them out in your domestic general waste bins. Instead, there are other methods of old tyre disposal you should follow.
These are a few places where you can dispose of scrap tyres from your car:
- Garages – most garages will offer you options for recycling car tyres when replacing one or more tyres on your vehicle. Many will take your old tyres off your hands for free and some will dispose of your used tyres even if you’re not getting new ones fitted. Check with a garage near you to see whether they provide tyre waste disposal services and any charges that may apply.
- HWRCs – most household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) in the UK accept old tyres from domestic cars. Many have tyre recycling schemes in place, but check if there’s a maximum number, size, or type of old tyres you can drop off at once.
- Charities – some organisations will happily accept your used car tyres even if they’re worn out and can’t be put on another vehicle. Zoos can use them in their enclosures, gyms or sports clubs may use tyres for training, and farms might find a use for them.
- Sell online – list your old tyres on places like Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree and see if anyone’s interested in them, even if they’re too worn. Offer them for free and add collection as a requirement to get rid of them to someone who can make use of your old tyres.
- Tyre collection – check if your local authority offers a tyre collection service (possibly included under its bulky waste collections) and what the cost is. Alternatively, use a professional waste management organisation like Business Waste to collect and recycle your old domestic tyres responsibly. We can help with one-off removals of tyres in the UK too.
Can you recycle tyres?
Recycling tyres is possible. However, tyre recycling isn’t straightforward as they’re made from a combination of materials including rubber, steel, oil, and chemicals. You can recycle scrap tyres at the end of their life by granulating them. This ensures as much of the materials that make them up are retrievable and recycled.
It’s important to recycle old tyres as they’re banned from landfill in the UK. Various facilities offer used tyre recycling, so it’s important you dispose of them via proper channels to ensure they’re reused. At Business Waste we aim to recycle all car tyres we collect to help protect the environment.
How are tyres recycled?
The days of dangerous tyre fires and sending them to landfill are behind us thanks to new regulations. Tyres are banned from landfill sites in the UK, which means almost all of them are recovered and recycled in one form or another. Some of the common ways that old tyres are recycled include:
- Retreading – any old tyres that maintain enough structural integrity can be remoulded and re-treaded using recycled rubber treads. This forms new recycled tyres from used ones, saving on resources and energy to create brand new tyres. Around half of all bus and truck tyres in the UK have been re-treaded.
- Reuse – rubber from scrap tyres can be broken down, reconstituted, and reused in construction materials and engineering projects. This includes in road materials, bridge foundations, and to soundproof walls and rooms.
- Recycling – after the removal of steel, oil, and any other materials, the rubber from tyres can be shredded to create crumb rubber. This has a fine and granular consistency and can be used in speed bumps, carpet underlay, mudguards, running tracks, and more.
- Energy from waste – waste tyres can be used to generate energy through the process of pyrolysis to replace coal in cement kilns and paper mills. It provides a more sustainable energy source and reduces the harmful emissions that burning fossil fuels for energy release.
How much is tyre disposal?
The cost of tyre disposal in the UK depends on various factors. This includes whether you’re getting rid of used tyres from a business or a domestic vehicle. The size, number, and type of tyres, where you are in the UK and the method of used tyre disposal also affects the price.
Many garages will take used tyres from your car for free, while you can also recycle old tyres at most HWRCs for free. Some garages may charge a small price or a collection fee if required. Check any charges your local authority or council includes if they provide a tyre or bulky waste collection service (that covers tyres).
Donating old tyres to another organisation or person shouldn’t cost anything. There may be fees to list any scrap tyres on social media or online listing sites though. Costs of tyre disposal in the UK for businesses depend on the waste management company and licensed waste carriers you use to remove them.
Tyre disposal costs with Business Waste depend on the size, number, and type of tyres you need removing, where from in the UK, and how often. We can provide a free no obligation quote for waste tyre collection and disposal tailored to your specific needs to help you decide on a cost-effective solution.
Tyre disposal regulations
in the UK
Under the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002 the disposal of whole tyres was banned in landfill sites from 2003. Then the 2006 EU Landfill Directive banned end-of-life and shredded tyres being disposed of in landfill in the UK from 2006 onwards. This has helped the UK achieve a high recycling and recovery rate for waste tyres.
The Environment Agency (EA) also has statutory guidance that regulates the storage and treatment of end-of-life tyres for recovery. These cover the management, operations, emissions, and further information for any site that accepts, stores and/or treats end-of-life tyres for recovery.
Its statutory guidance states that no more than 5,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres can be accepted at a site annually. It also states that no more than 100 tonnes of end-of-life tyres can be stored at any one time. This guidance is to protect health and safety and the environment.
Arrange commercial tyre disposal
Book commercial tyre disposal with Business Waste. We can collect scrap tyres from anywhere in the UK and ensure each one is recycled and recovered responsibly. You receive a free duty of care certificate confirming the safe and proper disposal of your used tyres for added peace of mind.
Licensed waste carriers will collect your old tyres at a time and date that suits you. One-off or regular daily, weekly, and fortnightly tyre collections are available – ideal if you run a garage that produces high volumes of waste tyres.
Get a free no obligation quote for commercial tyre disposal tailored to your needs. This is based on the number, size, and type of tyres you need collected and where from in the UK. Contact us online or call 0800 211 8390 for your free quote and speak to one of our friendly team if you have any questions.
Tyre disposal FAQs
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When should you dispose of car tyres?
There are legal requirements for car tyres in the UK. Legally you must change your car tyres when the tread depth is less than 1.6 mm across 75% of the tyre’s width and all around its circumference. At this point, you should dispose of your old car tyres.
New car tyres have a tread depth between 8 and 9mm. How long it takes for this to wear down to below the legal limit depends on how much the car is driven, the type of tyre, and other factors.
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How do you dispose of tractor tyres?
You can dispose of tractor tyres in a similar way to used car tyres. However, most tractor tyres are a type of commercial waste as they’re mostly used on farms for commercial purposes. The safest way to dispose of tractor tyres is to arrange commercial waste collection by licensed waste carriers.
If you get new tyres fitted to a tractor then the company responsible may take away your old ones for disposal. Tractor tyres can be recycled like car tyres with the rubber and other materials reused or sent to get energy from the waste tyres.
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Are tyres hazardous waste?
Old tyres are not a type of hazardous waste, even though they may contain potentially hazardous elements such as oil and chemicals. The main materials that make up tyres are rubber, which is not a kind of hazardous waste. For this reason, you don’t need a hazardous waste consignment note to dispose of tyres.
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Are tyres a fire hazard?
Tyres don’t ignite easily but if they do catch fire they’re hard to extinguish. They burn quickly while releasing intense heat and toxic emissions including carbon monoxide and sulphur oxides. A high concentration of tyres in one area is a fire hazard.
The Environment Agency has guidelines for storing tyres to keep them safe and reduce the risk of fires starting and spreading. Any facility that stores used tyres should adhere to these guidelines to minimise the chance of a tyre fire.
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What can you do with old tyres?
Responsible disposal and recycling of old tyres is a safe, legal, and environmentally friendly way to get rid of them. There are other things you can do with used tyres, including repurposing them to make a:
- Planter – repurpose an old tyre in your garden as a floor or wall planter.
- Footstool – paint the tyre and fill it with a big cushion that fits in to create a footstool.
- Dog or cat bed – like creating a footstool, simply fill the tyre with a cushion to make a new pet bed.
- Tyre swing – the old classic. If you’ve got a suitable tree, tie some strong ropes around a branch and attach it to the tyre for a simple swing.
- Bike storage – cut an old tyre in half and secure either half to the ground so a bicycle wheel can slot in between to keep it stood up.
Get a fast and free quote
Get a fast FREE quote for tyre waste collection
- Free quote within 1 hour
- Any type of used tyres
- FREE bins and delivery
- We cover all of the UK