How to Get Rid of Old Tires in Utah

Why It's Not As Simple As The Trash Can

Why You Can't Just Toss Tires In The Trash

Old tires are handled differently from most household junk. They don't compact, they trap water and breed mosquitoes, and they can damage landfill equipment, so Utah keeps them out of the regular waste stream. That means the garbage can is out, and the landfill won't take them without charging a tire fee. It's not a rule anyone loves, but it's the reason a stack of tires tends to sit in the garage for a year.

The good news is that tires are easy to recycle, and there's an established path for them. You just have to take them to a place that's set up to accept them.

Take Them Back To A Tire Shop

The simplest route is the tire shop. When you buy new tires, almost every shop will take your old ones on the spot, usually for a small disposal fee per tire that's baked into the ticket. If you already have loose tires sitting around, many shops will still take them, though some only accept them with a purchase, so it's worth a quick phone call before you load up the truck.

This is the option most people forget about. If new tires are already in your future, timing the old ones to go out the same day saves you a separate trip.

Tire Recyclers

If you're not buying new tires, a tire recycler is the next stop. These are the outfits that grind old tires down into crumb rubber and other reusable material, and they'll take passenger tires by the load, usually for a modest per-tire fee. Search for a tire recycler near Salt Lake County, call to confirm they accept drop-offs from the public, and ask what they charge per tire before you drive over.

The Landfill Charges A Fee

You can also self-haul tires to the landfill, but they're a special item there, not part of a normal load. The landfill charges a per-tire fee to take them, separate from the roughly $20 to $35 you'd pay for an ordinary pickup-truck load of household junk. Fees and rules change, so check the current tire pricing and hours before you make the drive rather than guessing.

Or Let Junk Removal Haul Them

If you don't have a truck, don't want to handle greasy tires, or you've got a pile of them mixed in with other junk, hiring a hauler is the hands-off option. A crew loads the tires, takes them to the right place, and pays the disposal fee for you, all rolled into one flat price. Tires ride along most cheaply when they're part of a larger load, so if you're already clearing out a garage, it's worth having them go at the same time. Jay's can take old tires (though not hazardous materials like paint, chemicals, or fuel), so just ask for the fee when you call. You can see everything we haul on our services page.