Council on the road to a circular economy with free tyre drop off day

Published on 03 March 2021

The rubber is about to hit the road for sustainable outcomes with Singleton Council’s first ever tyre drop off day.

Singleton residents are invited to drop off up to four motorbike, car, 4WD or light truck tyres for free at the Singleton Waste Management Facility on Saturday 20 March 2021.

And in addition to the cost savings, they’ll also be helping the environment with 82 per cent of each tyre recycled in a range of ways including road production, playground and sporting surfaces, civil infrastructure, and engineering projects.

Justin Fitzpatrick-Barr, Council’s Director Infrastructure and Planning, said the free tyre drop off day was another new waste initiative for 2021, which alongside the popular Mattress Muster held in January addresses objectives outlined in the Singleton Sustainability Strategy.

“Each year in Australia, 48 million tyres reach the end of their life, but only 16 per cent are recycled with most ending up in landfill. Old tyres are such a valuable resource with a stack of valuable re-use, recycling, and waste to energy options,” he said. 

“Driven by the actions set out in the Singleton Sustainability Strategy, the tyre drop off day aims to transform this waste product into a useful commodity, which not only directs waste from landfill but also reduces environmental harm caused by the illegal dumping of old tyres or stockpiling, which present a very serious fire danger.

“But we know that disposing of unwanted tyres can be expensive and so we recognised this is a service that would benefit the community in more ways than one – to help people get rid of old tyres cost effectively, as well as to make sure that they are then properly disposed of productively and sustainably.”

The first Tyre Drop off Day will be held on Saturday 20 March 2021 between 10am and 2pm at the Waste Management Facility on Dyrring Road, Fern Gully. Proof of address will be required and there is a limit of four tyres per customer.

 

ENDS