Your Tires and Our Environment

California produces more than 44 million waste tires annually. About 75 percent (33 million) are recycled into things like playground safety surfaces, mulch and weed abatement mats for landscaping, and rubberized asphalt concrete for paving roads.

Tires that aren’t recycled typically end up in landfills or are illegally dumped, costing thousands of dollars to remove and presenting environmental hazards.

What Can You Do to Help?

We can all take action to extend the life of our tires and help our environment:

• First and foremost: maintain your tires properly.
• Buy tires that promise higher mileage.
• If they’re available, buy retreaded tires.
• Whenever possible, buy products made from the rubber of old tires.
• Know who can reuse or recycle your old tires.
• Dispose of tires legally.

In fact, the road you live on may be paved with rubberized asphalt concrete (RAC)--a road material made with recycled tires. RAC is a proven, cost-efficient and an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional road paving.

So remember, checking your tire pressure and tread once a month not only keeps you safe on the road and saves you money--it’s good for the environment. And that’s something we can all support.