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Curbside pickup won't touch old tires. Not in 48 states. So when you're clearing the garage for a move, finishing a downsizing project, or sorting through an estate, those four or eight tires in the corner become the one stack nobody knows what to do with.
We've handled this exact scenario thousands of times since 2014. Most customers come to us after trying two or three options on their own. The dealer turned them away because they didn't sell them the tires. The county facility had a four-tire cap. The recycling center wasn't open weekends, and the next amnesty event was three months out. By the time they call Jiffy Junk, the pile has been getting shoved around the garage for months.
There's no single right answer for old tire and rim disposal. The right path depends on how many you have, whether they still have rims attached, and how much of your weekend you're willing to spend hauling them yourself.
TL;DR Quick Answers
TL;DR Quick Answers
Tire disposal near me usually comes down to four choices. Tire retailers charge $3 to $5 per tire and typically only accept tires they sold you. County solid waste facilities run $2 to $15 per tire and apply quantity caps that vary by location. Certified recyclers (find one through Earth911 by ZIP code) charge similar drop-off fees. Full-service junk removal uses volume-based pricing and comes to your property.
Curbside crews can't take tires in 48 states because of scrap tire regulations and landfill bans. If you have five or more tires from a downsizing project, professional removal usually costs less than the combined drop-off fees, fuel, and weekend hours of doing it yourself.
Top Takeaways
Top Takeaways
48 states regulate tire disposal, so curbside crews can't legally take them.
Tire retailers usually only accept tires they sold you. Always call ahead before loading the car.
County facilities charge $2 to $15 per tire, with quantity caps that change by location.
Earth911's ZIP-code locator finds the nearest permitted recyclers.
For five or more tires, volume-based pricing usually beats per-tire fees on both cost and time.
79% of end-of-life tires now reach recycling markets in the U.S., including rubberized asphalt, playgrounds, and athletic tracks.
Licensed haulers handle state-by-state compliance, so you don't need to study the regulations to clear your space.
Table of Contents
Your Four Choices for Tire Disposal Near You
Your Four Choices for Tire Disposal Near You
We've been hauling tires since 2014, and the four options below cover almost every situation we've seen. Each works for a different combination of quantity, timing, and budget.
Option One — Tire Retailers and Auto Shops
Option One — Tire Retailers and Auto Shops
Best for: customers replacing tires during a purchase. Most retailers accept the old tires they're swapping off your vehicle for $3 to $5 per tire. They usually won't accept tires they didn't sell you. Always call first to confirm the shop's policy and any disposal fees.
Option Two — County Solid Waste Facilities
Option Two — County Solid Waste Facilities
Best for: small quantities under ten tires when your schedule has some flexibility. Fees typically run $2 to $15 per tire, depending on tire size and whether the rim is still attached. Quantity caps and operating hours vary by county. Many facilities run free amnesty events once or twice a year, with household limits on how many tires you can bring.
Option Three — Certified Recycling Centers
Option Three — Certified Recycling Centers
Best for: people who want documented recycling for their tires. Earth911's locator (linked in the resources section below) lists permitted recyclers by ZIP code. Drop-off fees match what county facilities charge, plus the time and fuel for the trip.
Option Four — Full-Service Junk Removal
Option Four — Full-Service Junk Removal
Best for: downsizing projects, estate cleanouts, garage clearouts, and any situation with more than five or six tires. Volume-based pricing means you pay for the truck space your items take up, not for each tire individually. If you've never booked this kind of service, this overview of how removal works walks through what to expect. Many of our downsizing customers compare affordable bulk tire disposal near me services before scheduling anything else. The all-in cost usually beats what you'd spend on per-tire fees and gas, plus the Saturday you'd lose to loading and hauling.
A Note on Commercial and Larger Cleanouts
A Note on Commercial and Larger Cleanouts
The same volume math applies when an auto shop, restaurant, or property manager has a bigger load. For business owners weighing full-service removal against a container rental, two helpful references are restaurant waste handling and small project container guides. If your project will run multiple days, this breakdown of flexible pickup scheduling helps you time the haul-off.
Quick Prep Tips Before Pickup or Drop-Off
Quick Prep Tips Before Pickup or Drop-Off
Count your tires and take a photo. Most quotes come back faster and more accurate with a visual.
Separate tires with rims from tires without. Some county facilities charge extra for mounted tires. We accept both at the same volume-based rate.
Stack tires in an accessible spot like a driveway or garage. If you're moving them yourself first, this guide on safe lifting practices is worth a read. Tires are awkwardly weighted and easier to injure yourself on than they look.
Call ahead if you're using a county or retailer option. And if this is your first time hiring a removal service, this checklist on vetting removal companies covers what to ask before you book.
"Most customers who call us about tires haven’t been ignoring the pile. They’ve been moving it from one corner of the garage to another for two or three years, waiting for an easier answer than the one they already know."
Seven Essential Tire Disposal Resources
Seven Essential Tire Disposal Resources
We've handled thousands of tire jobs, but we still tell every homeowner to verify local rules before booking anything (including with us). These seven sources cover federal, state, industry, and consumer angles. Every link is current, and none of these sites compete with Jiffy Junk for the same service.
1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Scrap Tires Basic Information
The federal starting point for understanding why tire disposal isn't handled like regular waste. Covers stockpile history, landfill issues, and a state-by-state summary of regulations. Worth a quick read before any drop-off trip so you arrive knowing what each facility will or won't accept.
Source: https://archive.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/tires/web/html/basic.html
2. U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association — Tire Recycling
The industry's primary data source on end-of-life tires. USTMA publishes a report every two years tracking recycling rates, market trends, and where recycled tires go. Worth reading if you're curious about what happens after a tire leaves your property.
Source: https://www.ustires.org/tire-recycling
3. Earth911 — How to Recycle Tires
A consumer-friendly recycling guide with a built-in locator. Enter your ZIP code, and Earth911 returns permitted tire recycling centers in your area along with their fees and accepted tire types.
Source: https://earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-tires/
4. CalRecycle — Tire Management
California runs one of the country's most developed state tire programs, with public-facing information on tire fees, registered haulers, and amnesty event schedules. CalRecycle manages more than 60 million reusable and waste tires generated in the state each year. Even if you live elsewhere, this is a useful baseline for what to expect from your own state's program.
Source: https://calrecycle.ca.gov/tires/
5. Tire Recycling Foundation
A joint initiative of USTMA and the Tire Industry Association. The foundation funds research and education on newer tire recycling approaches like rubber-modified asphalt, tire-derived aggregate, and chemical recycling. Worth a read if you want to see where the industry is heading.
Source: https://tirerecyclingfoundation.org/
6. Tire Industry Association — Tire and Rubber Recycling Glossary
When a recycling facility tells you they accept "ground rubber" but not "crumb rubber," this glossary helps you decode the terminology. Useful for commercial customers and anyone managing a fleet changeover.
Source: https://www.tireindustry.org/resources/reference-materials/tire-rubber-recycling-glossary/
7. EPA Used Tires Quick Reference Guide (Tribal Transfer Station Quick Start)
A short, plain-language reference originally produced for tribal transfer stations, but useful for any consumer. Covers state regulation, rim policies, and current disposal best practices. Published May 2025 (Publication #909F25006), which makes it the most current federal summary available.
Source: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2025-06/used-tires_v6_508.pdf
Three Numbers That Explain Why Tire Disposal Is Complicated
Three Numbers That Explain Why Tire Disposal Is Complicated
When customers ask why tire disposal is so complicated, three numbers tell most of the story. All three come from the most recent published reports.
79% of end-of-life tires now reach beneficial reuse markets.
USTMA's 16th End-of-Life Tire Management Report (released October 2024) shows that 79% of end-of-life tires now reach end-use markets. That's a 10.5% jump in overall utilization since the prior report, and a major turnaround from the 17% recovery rate where the industry started in 1990. Choose a certified recycler, or a hauler that uses one, and your old tires actually go somewhere useful.
Source: U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association, 2023 End-of-Life Tire Management Report — https://www.ustires.org/newsroom/ustma-reports-progress-tire-recycling
More than 250 million end-of-life tires are generated in the U.S. every year.
That works out to about one tire per person, every year. The volume is the reason every state has its own management system, and the reason curbside pickup was never on the table. In our experience, the average homeowner collects four to eight tires before they finally pick up the phone. Multiply that across one neighborhood and the volume becomes obvious.
Source: USTMA, Tire Recycling overview — https://www.ustires.org/tire-recycling
48 states have laws or regulations specifically dealing with scrap tires.
Only Alaska and Delaware operate without dedicated scrap tire statutes. Everywhere else, rules cover who can transport tires, where they can be stored, and how they can be processed. That's why one quick call to your county solid waste office often saves a wasted trip. A licensed, insured hauler takes the compliance work off your plate entirely.
Source: U.S. EPA, Laws and Statutes — Scrap Tires — https://archive.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/tires/web/html/laws.html
Final Thoughts: When Professional Removal Is the Smarter Move
Final Thoughts: When Professional Removal Is the Smarter Move
For two or three tires and a free Saturday, the DIY drop-off route works fine. Call your retailer, then your county facility, and keep the receipts. An hour spent on decluttering before pickup usually surfaces other items you'd been meaning to clear, like old fencing, an exercise bike, or that one broken appliance, and they can all ride along on the same trip.
Once the tire count gets past five or six, the math changes. Per-tire fees plus fuel plus a lost weekend usually outpace a single junk removal appointment, particularly during a downsizing project where the tires are rarely the only thing leaving the property. If you want a wider read on building clutter-free living habits or learning smart clearing strategies, both sites are worth checking before you start sorting.
Stop letting a stack of tires stall the rest of your project. One stuck task tends to derail an entire weekend, and tire piles are a textbook example. A clean garage also pays off in ways you don't expect, like fewer pest-harboring corners, better airflow, and more usable square footage. This primer on indoor climate basics covers how reclaimed space and ventilation connect. For additional removal insights on seasonal cleanouts, that's another site we send customers to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I dispose of old tires near me?
Where can I dispose of old tires near me?
You have four options: tire retailers (usually only for tires they sold), county solid waste facilities, certified recycling centers found through Earth911, and full-service junk removal. Prices, quantity caps, and rim policies vary by provider, so call ahead before any drop-off attempt.
How much does tire disposal cost?
How much does tire disposal cost?
Per-tire drop-off fees usually run $2 to $5 for passenger tires and $5 to $15 for truck or oversized tires. Volume-based junk removal replaces per-tire fees with a single quote based on truck space, which typically costs less on larger loads.
Will the curbside crew take tires if I leave them out?
Will the curbside crew take tires if I leave them out?
No. Curbside pickup can't legally accept tires in most U.S. localities. Whole tires are banned from most landfills because they create fire hazards and trap rainwater that breeds mosquitoes.
Can I include tires that still have rims attached?
Can I include tires that still have rims attached?
Many county facilities charge extra for mounted tires or refuse them outright. Some retailers require unmounted tires only. At Jiffy Junk, we accept tires with or without rims at the same volume-based rate, with no separate surcharge for mounted ones.
How many tires can I drop off at a recycling center?
How many tires can I drop off at a recycling center?
Quantity caps vary, but many facilities limit households to four to ten tires per visit. Larger loads from a garage cleanout or estate situation often blow past the cap. That's the point where professional removal makes more sense.
What's the easiest way to clear tires during a full house cleanout?
What's the easiest way to clear tires during a full house cleanout?
Bundle the tires with everything else leaving the property into a single full-service appointment, including appliances, furniture, yard waste, and scrap metal. One crew handles the entire job, from one upfront quote through final cleanup. That's our White Glove Treatment in practice. We take care of the lifting, the sorting, and the recycling so you can focus on the move. For a clearer picture of what cleanup includes on professional jobs, that page is a useful reference.
Ready to Clear Those Tires Today?
Ready to Clear Those Tires Today?
Stop moving that same stack of tires around the garage. Whether you've got four tires or forty, our licensed and insured crews arrive on time, quote you upfront before lifting anything, and finish with the swept-clean White Glove Treatment that's built our reputation. Book online in under a minute, or call us for a free quote. Same-day service is available in most of our coverage areas.
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