CalRecycle Grants Encourage Local Governments to Buy Recycled Tire Products: Projects will keep an estimated 2.1 million tires from landfills

SACRAMENTO--The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has awarded $7.5 million to local agencies to purchase products that give new life to old tires.

“CalRecycle’s Tire-Derived Product Grant Program helps schools and local governments experience the value of new products made from old tires,” said department Acting Director Mark Leary. “By promoting and developing markets for waste tires, we stimulate the state’s economy while helping to conserve natural resources and protect the environment.”

In this grant cycle, CalRecycle awarded funds to 83 public entities statewide. As a result, an estimated 2.1 million tires will be kept from landfills. As an example, Los Angeles County communities received more than $600,000 for projects that range from new stall mats and rubber bark to keep horses safe at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, to rubber paved ramps that will extend existing boardwalks to Santa Monica beaches.

Grant funding will also go toward the purchase of rubber chips or mats that protect children from playground falls, all-weather sports fields made from crumb rubber, rubber paved walkways, or rubber mulch for public areas. Products made from recycled tires last a long time and don’t usually require special maintenance.

According to CalRecycle data, public entities that have previously received grants for recycled tire products indicated they were pleased with product quality. Nearly one-third continue to use tire-derived products without additional grant funding, and almost 20 percent more are planning to do so. California generates more than 40 million waste tires each year, and about 11 million of those end up in landfills or illegally dumped. Encouraging tire recycling is an excellent step in keeping this valuable resource out of landfills.

CalRecycle’s Tire-Derived Product Grant Program promotes markets for products derived from waste tires generated in California. Cities, counties, special districts, American Indian tribes, schools, and universities may apply. Reimbursement is based on the actual cost of materials, tax, and shipping up to $5 per passenger tire used, with a maximum grant amount of $150,000 per recipient.

For a complete list of projects, search the grants database.

Funding for these grants comes from the $1.75 recycling fee levied on each new tire sold in California. CalRecycle receives $1.00 of each $1.75 fee, and the remainder is used for tire-related air emission programs.

CalRecycle is the state's leading authority on recycling, waste reduction, and product reuse. CalRecycle plays an important role in the stewardship of California's vast resources and promotes innovation in technology to encourage economic and environmental sustainability. For more information, visit www.calrecycle.ca.gov.

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CalRecycle is part of the California Natural Resources Agency.