An environmental issue in Lenoir County — as well as across the nation — can be rectified with the cooperation of its residents.
Kinston Public Services wants to keep residents informed about the importance of tire recycling. According to a press release from Environmental Services Superintendent Ruth Tanner, more than 300 million tires are discarded each year, which can be very damaging.
“Tires are an environmental nightmare,” Tanner said. “They wreak havoc because they don’t degrade like other garbage. They never officially decompose and some tire fires can last for months, even years as they’re difficult to extinguish. Also, they expel harmful toxins into the air, soil and water and stored tires are a breeding ground for mosquitoes and rodents.”
Tanner also said there had been an influx of tires in Dumpsters, alley ways and vacant lots, which is why she wanted to help make people aware of the proper protocol of handling tires and recycling.
“Keeping tires out of the landfill leaves room for waste and reduces the amounts of vermin and energy consumption,” Tanner said. “It also increases energy recovery. It takes 22 gallons of oil to make one truck tire, but only 7 for a retreaded tire.”
Old tires can be recycled into many objects such as new shoes, handbags, rain-resistant tarps, asphalt and new tires, according to Tanner.
The City of Kinston will pick up four tires from each resident at any time, as long as the tires are not in trash cans or with the rims attached. Residents can also take more tires to the Lenoir County landfill, where employees will recycle them.
“We’ve been taking our tires out to Central Carolina Tire in Cameron for more than 20 years,” Lenoir County Landfill Manager Kim Fordham said. “Residents can bring up to eight tires per day without filling out a form. Anything more than that needs a tire certificate. The tires have to be loaded into a trailer and stacked so we can get as many in there as we can.”
Sending tires to the Lenoir County landfill or having the city pick them up will be free to each resident of Lenoir County, because of the disposal fee paid when tires are bought. There is one specific regulation that must be adhered to when it comes to recycling.
“We only accept Lenoir County tires,” Fordham said. “We’re not permitted to take any from other counties or states.”
Any Lenoir County residents looking to dispose of tires can visit the Lenoir County landfill from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1077 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.