Solid Waste in New England

Scrap Tires

As more and more people rely on cars for transportation and the number of cars on the road increases, the problem of what to do with all of the scrap tires generated in New England becomes more important. According to the Scrap Tire Management Council, one scrap tire is produced each year for each person in the United States. Since scrap tires typically stay in the area where they originate due to the high cost of transporting them elsewhere, most waste tires produced in New England must be dealt with inside the region.

Historically, scrap tires were discarded in properly managed landfills. If these tires were improperly stockpiled or illegally dumped, however, the tires often became breeding grounds for disease-carrying pests, such as mosquitoes and rodents. Tires in stockpiles can also ignite, creating tire fires that are difficult to extinguish, generating unhealthy smoke and toxic oils.

Recycling and reuse markets for scrap tires have developed over the years -- for substitute construction materials, ground rubber, retreaded tires, and tire-derived fuel (TDF). In 2000, paper mills in Maine consumed about 71,000 tons of TDF - the equivalent of approximately 7.1 million scrap tires. In Connecticut, scrap tires are burned to create energy at a dedicated tire-to-energy facility that burned more than 10 million scrap tires in 2000.

Although markets for the recycling and innovative use of scrap tires continue to grow, many tires are still being stockpiled or discarded. Most New England states have programs specifically dealing with scrap tires. These include, for example, restrictions on land disposal; regulations for the transportation, processing and storage of scrap tires; and the establishment of recycling markets and programs.

For more information about state programs and requirements, see State Agencies and Other Organizations.