Americans discard more than 250 million tires each year. More than 40% are burned as tire-derived fuel (TDF), another 40% are recycled, and the rest are illegally dumped or landfilled, where they can catch fire and cause environmental contamination. But tires are recyclable! Retreading a single truck tire – rather than producing a new one – can save 15 gallons of oil and 40 pounds of raw materials like rubber and steel.

How can we recycle more tires and protect the environment? Extended producer responsibility. EPR programs incentivize the design of products that are environmentally responsible – such as those made from recycled materials. In 2023, Connecticut passed a first-in-the-nation tire EPR bill, building on PSI’s work, which fueled the introduction of tire EPR bills in Connecticut and Vermont since 2015. In Europe, where tire EPR has been in place since 1995, some countries are able to reuse, retread, and recycle 100% of tires; in Canada, where similar programs have been operating since 2007, more than 84% of tires are recovered and hundreds of recycling jobs have been created in Manitoba and Ontario.

In America, 35 states have mandated fees that help clean up illegal tire dumps, which consumers pay when purchasing tires. But these funds don’t work to make recycling convenient, and the programs don’t encourage retread; because it is still the least expensive waste management option, burning tires for TDF remains prevalent.

PSI has worked on tire EPR solutions since 2000, and collaborated with governments in Connecticut and Vermont to support the introduction of tire EPR bills. Our work includes research highlighting the problem of illegal tire piles and the burning of tires for energy, which the industry has erroneously called recycling. Over the past two decades, we facilitated multi-stakeholder efforts, which included industry and government, raising awareness about and advancing stewardship solutions to increase tire reuse, retreading, and recycling.

EPR programs like these incentivize the design of more sustainable products and build supply chains for those made with recycled materials, which are the building blocks of an emerging circular economy that protects our environment and builds a better future.

What can you do? Tell your representatives that you support EPR legislation for tires. Then, learn where to recycle or safely dispose of tires in your community.

If you’re a PSI Member or Partner, search our Resource Library for in-depth information on tire stewardship in the United States and around the world and our Legislation Library  for a detailed history of tire EPR bills and laws in the U.S.