KALEVA — A recycling event taking place next month will allow residents to get rid of their old and used tires.
The annual scrap tire recycling event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on July 29, rain or shine, at Bay Area Recycling for Community, located at 14407 Industrial Drive in Kaleva.
Residents will be allowed to dispose of 10 tires per vehicle, per visit, with a $2 fee per tire. Payments must be made in cash — cards and checks will not be accepted.
The recycling event is open to Manistee County residents only. Proof will be required in the form of a valid Michigan driver’s license, state ID or recent utility or tax bill. Only clean and off-the-rim passenger and light duty truck tires will be accepted.
Partial funding for the 2023 scrap tire event is made possible by a Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy scrap tire cleanup grant.
The purpose behind the scrap tire grant is to "improve the scrap tire regulatory landscape with higher rates of compliance (and) fewer occurrences of illegal tire operations," according to the program's website.
Due to the specifics of the grant, tires from businesses and commercial farms will not be accepted. No airplane, construction loader, forestry or solid/gel filled tires will be accepted.
Tires will be accepted only during event hours. Leaving tires before or after event hours is illegal dumping, which is a punishable offense. Those unable to make the event can check with a local tire vendor for alternative disposal sources.
Tires collected at the event will be handled by a licensed Michigan scrap tire processor and may be used to manufacture new products such as landscaping mulch, playground surfacing, various mats, drain field aggregate and equestrian footing, or tire-derived fuel.
The event is hosted by Bay Area Recycling for Community and the Manistee Conservation District. For more details on the event, contact the conservation district at 231-889-9666 or Bay Area Recycling for Community at 231-492-6138.
