A photo from a previous tire collection event.
Image Credit: Tire Stewardship BC
May 04, 2024 - 6:00 PM
A non-profit is hosting old tire collection events around Kamloops, Okanagan ahead of wildfire season.
Tire Stewardship BC is the non-profit organizing tire collection in Kamloops, Vernon, and Kelowna, according to a press release.
The Kamloops event is at Kal Tire on Mount Paul Way between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on May 11.
In Kelowna there is a tire collection at Top Grade Tire Recycling on McCurdy Road between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on May 25.
Vernon residents can drop their old tires off at the Kal Tire on Kal Lake Road between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on June 1.
Tires can be on or off rims, and get recycled into different products like playground surfaces, athletic tracks, and commercial flooring and roofing. Rubber and steel is also recovered in the tire recycling process and repurposed.
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Old tires laying around can be a fire hazard when the summer heat comes along.
Tire Stewardship BC’s executive director Rosemary Sutton hopes British Columbians dispose of their tires properly.
“With fire season upon us, it is important not to leave old or unused tires lying around at home,” Sutton said in the release. “They can also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes once rainwater collects inside. We encourage any resident with tires lying around their property to either drop them off at one of our collection events this spring or summer, or to search for a return-to-retailer location on our website and drop them off at any point throughout the year at a location that is convenient for them.”
The Tire Stewardship collected and recycled more than 6,000 tires last year.
Tire collection events are also taking place in The Village of Sayward, Prince George, Grand Forks, D’Arcy, and McBride.
Since 1991 there have been more than 100 million tires recycled in BC, and the stewardship is the oldest tire recycling program in Canada and one of the most successful.
“When the weather warms and the seasons change, so should your tires,” Sutton said. “When the temperature is regularly above seven degrees, it’s time to switch out your winter tires and store them covered in a cool, dry place or drop them off at one of our collection events so that they can be recycled.”
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