EAST COUNTY–Residents of Lakeside, Ramona and the surrounding unincorporated areas in San Diego County can recycle their used passenger tires for free at separate “Tire Amnesty-Day” events on Oct. 23 and Nov. 6.
Since the State banned disposal of whole tires at landfills in California in 1993, the County of San Diego has offered amnesty days and public education for recycling and disposal of tires funded partially through state grants.
“This is a great way for people turn a problem into something useful,” said County Supervisor Dianne Jacob. “Instead of filling up landfills, these old tires will be shredded and re-used to top our roads and create safe mulch for gardens and playgrounds.”
Illegally abandoned tires continue to be a problem throughout the rural areas of the unincorporated area. Tires are an excellent breeding environment for mosquitoes, a known vector for West Nile virus, malaria, and encephalitis. In addition, the threat of fire and further illegal dumping is always a critical concern in the region.
The Lakeside event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 23 at the intersection of Mapleview St. and Channel Road. The Ramona event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 6 at Ramona High at 1401 Hanson Lane.
Residents may recycle up to nine tires per vehicle – reasonably clean and free of excessive dirt or other foreign matter. Inside tire diameter size is limited to 16.5 inches. Tires mounted on rims will not be accepted. No large truck tires and no tires from business or commercial sources will be accepted.
Call the County’s Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste at 1-877-R-1-EARTH (1-877-713-2784) for more information or to make arrangements for larger tires, tires with rims, or loads of more than nine tires.
The events are sponsored by the County of San Diego Recycling Program and a grant from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).
