Where Can Residents Recycle Tires?

Tires must be recycled. It’s the law. It’s also easy and convenient for residents.

In most cases, when buying tires, the retailer will keep and take responsibility for the old tires. In addition, each of the state’s 46 counties accepts waste tires from residents. Visit RecycleHereSC to find locations in your community. Call your county recycling coordinator to learn if there are any limits on the number of tires that can be dropped off at one time.

Additional Fees

The S.C. Solid Waste Policy and Management Act of 1991 bans the disposal of whole tires in landfills and places a $2 fee on each new tire purchased. The fee is used to properly manage and recycle scrap tires, reduce illegal dumping and encourage new uses for old tires.

Counties are prohibited from imposing an additional fee on scrap tires generated within their jurisdiction with the following exceptions:

• heavy equipment tires from farming, logging and mining operations;
• fleet tires on which there is no documentation that the $2 fee has been paid;
• unsold tires manufactured in South Carolina on which no fee has been paid.

If You Have Tires Stored at Home...

Improperly stored tires collect rainwater and provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes that transmit illnesses. You should always drain and recycle tires stored at home.

What Happens to Recycled Tires?

Most scrap tires generated in South Carolina are chipped and burned by permitted facilities in place of other fuel. Tires also are used as a substitute for gravel or other aggregates in septic tank drain fields or other drainage applications. In addition, recycled tires can be made into rubberized playground surfaces, landscaping mulch, truck bed mats, commercial flooring, rubberized asphalt and other products.