Not sure what to do with your old or worn tyres? From recycling centres to garage disposal schemes, there are several eco-friendly ways to get rid of them safely. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best tyre disposal options in the UK — helping you stay compliant, sustainable, and stress-free.
A discarded tyre is not the kind of thing that you can put in the bin or throw onto a compost heap. So, what can you do with old tyres when they are no longer required?
In the UK, vehicle owners and drivers have several options to choose from, to ensure that the tyres they no longer need are disposed of safely and sustainably.
Here are the best options available.
1. Ask Your Local Garage
Did you know that your local garage or mechanic will likely offer a safe disposal service for all unwanted tyres?
Consider this – most vehicle owners will have their tyres replaced at the garage, meaning that the surplus of old tyres is high across all of these local businesses. As such, these garages have the right connections to ensure safe disposal of old tyres and are well placed to get rid of tyres in bulk as part of their business operations.
NOTE: Some garages and mechanics will even knock some money off replacement tyres if you leave your old ones with them.
2. Check With The Tyre Manufacturer
Similarly, some tyre manufacturers ask drivers and vehicle owners to return old and unwanted tyres to them.
This is because many manufacturers seek to offer a recycling service as part of their sustainability drive and commitment to the environment.
Information about this kind of service can often be found in vehicle manuals or in documentation relating to your tyres.
3. Tyre Recycling Hub
Recycling centres are becoming commonplace across major UK cities and towns, with locations accessible to some degree for most vehicle owners.
If your local recycling centre doesn’t have a dedicated area for old tyres, they may be able to recommend the best place to go.
How Long Do Tyres Last?
Now that you have a bit of an idea as to where you can take old tyres, it’s worth considering just how often you might need to engage in one of the aforementioned services.
Tyres typically wear down below the minimum tread depth before they become outdated by age. Having said that, you will find that most tyres will last anywhere between 30,000 to 80,000 miles depending on the quality of the rubber, driving behaviour, and the typical road surfaces that you drive on. Road surface and driving behaviour have an impact on the rate of tyre wear and tear, which can cause tyres to reach the minimum tread depth at a faster rate.
The minimum tread depth for tyres in the UK is 1.6mm, meaning that once your tyres hit this they need to be replaced with new ones.
