Old tires can collect rainwater and serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes. But they can be difficult and expensive to dispose of since landfills can’t accept them – they were banned from Missouri and Kansas landfills in the 1990s. That’s why they sometimes end up along roadways or in wooded areas, discarded illegally. But residents of Jasper Newton, McDonald, Barton and Vernon Counties can get rid of old tires at a free tire drop-off event on May 11, hosted by the City of Joplin.
City officials say the collected tires will be taken to a recycling facility to be made into things like playground cover, garden hoses, trash cans, rug and floor mats, rubber bands and more.
The tire drop-off will be held between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Joplin Recycling Center, 1310 W. A Street. Automotive passenger tires, with or without rims, will be accepted. There’s a 10-tire per vehicle limit, and multiple visits are not allowed.
The drop-off is being partially funded by Region M Waste Management District and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Volunteers are needed to help out at the tire drop-off. Find out more at joplinmo.org/recycling.
