Recycling Tires

Landfills are still home to countless pounds of waste. Our disposable society has taught us that we can throw anything away, wherever, whenever we want. Theories abound as to what will happen to all the garbage tossed aside—from causing global warming to Styrofoam cups still being around when the sun burns itself out—but the point of this article is just to say that huge piles of garbage stink, rot, and generally look ugly. While not in our lifetimes, eventually we will run out of space on this planet.

A look at a local landfill will reveal several common items: plastic bottles, glass jars, aluminum cans, tons and tons of paper products and tires. Orange County, California has a system in place to dispose of several items around the house that need to be disposed of in a proper way. These are items like batteries, household cleaners, cosmetics and medications. Orange County classifies these common items as “household hazardous waste” (HHW).

The common misconception is that these items can be thrown away, but since they’re classified as HHW, they could potentially contaminate groundwater with harmful ingredients if they end up in a landfill. If those same HHWs end up in drains or sewers, from being poured into sinks or flushed down toilets, they could end up in the ocean in Orange County because the storm drains go directly to the ocean and the sewer systems contain beneficial bacteria that treat sewage, which some kinds of chemical household wastes could kill.

For instance, next time you change your oil here are some steps you can take. When you change your oil filter, take it out and let it drain for 24 hours. Once it is drained, place it in a plastic bag. Drain the oil from your car into a plastic container. Secure these and take them to a certified used oil recycling center. Many auto or tire supply stores or service centers qualify to accept used motor oils and filters. In Orange County, call (714) 834-6752 or visit http://www.oclandfills.com/hhwcc.asp for more information.

Twenty-seven million tires end up in landfills every year, but that’s a lot less than could be. Still, 290 million tires are being deposed of each year in the country, so the other 263 million have to go somewhere! Usually, when you buy a new tire, the store takes your old one and recycles it. That rubber is ground up and used in a variety of applications, from synthetic turf fields to playground to gardening mulch.

Some things on the list of HHWs are kind of surprising: cosmetics, herbicides, glue, household cleaners, medicines, polishes and waxes. Many of us are probably guilty of throwing out some of these items. By making yourself more aware, perhaps fewer of these items can fill our landfills and take up valuable space.