Purpose
The purpose of waste tire recycling program is to assist and educate residents of Fresno County and its 15 cities in the proper disposal and reuse of used passenger tires. The tire grant programs facilitated by CalRecycle are designed to encourage activities that promote reducing the number of waste tires going to landfills for disposal and eliminating the stockpiling of waste tires. Activities include tire pile cleanup and enforcement, market development, and demonstration projects. Revenue for the grants is generated from a tire fee on each new tire sold in California.
Facts about Used Tires
Nationwide, 8 used tires are created each second.- There is no known rate of decomposition for tires. Even a tire buried in the landfill can take nearly a century to disintegrate.
- Properly inflated tires promote better fuel economy for vehicles and reduces excess wear on the treads.
- It's illegal to dump tires on the side of the roads or on private property.
- When hauling tires to dispose, you are legally permitted to haul no more than 9 tires at a time.
- 96% of all tires were recycled in 2013.
- Academy Avenue was repaved using rubberized asphalt, a process that combines ground used tires with road materials.
- During our most recent tire amnesty cycle (February 2014-February 2016), Fresno County recycled enough tires that could pave 7.75 miles of rubberized asphalt roadways.
- An option for reusing used tires is to create a compost bin. For more information on composting, click here.
What are used tires good for?
Many different options are available for recycling and reusing used tires. Below are some ways that tires are repurposed once they have been worn out from driving.
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| Mulch |
Playground Equipment |
Roads |
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| Track and Field |
Synthetic Turf |
Shooting Targets |
Where can I dispose of Tires?
Any county resident is welcome to dispose of their used tires at the American Avenue Disposal Site. The address for this facility is 18950 W American Avenue, Kerman, CA 93630. The cost to dispose of used tires starts as low as $2.16 per tire for passenger vehicle tires. For more additional rates for the disposal of tires, click here(PDF, 134KB) for a pricing sheet. Please Note: If you need to haul more than nine (9) tires, you will need to contact the Fresno County Department of Health for an exemption letter. Failure to do this may result in a fine.
For Unincorporated Fresno County residents, the County of Fresno offers Tire Amnesty Events throughout the year. A mailer is sent to addresses in the area an event is being held that invites residents to drop off up to nine (9) tires. If you have more than nine (9) tires, you would need to contact Fresno County Department of Public Health to be issued a special hauling exemption prior to the event. Check your mail and check here for the next available Tire Amnesty Event near you!
(PDF, 5MB)Our Turning It Around(PDF, 4MB) Recycling Directory offers private disposal sites and companies that are available to take tires. Please make sure to call ahead prior to dropping off tires. Click the link at the left to go to our Turning It Around Directory.
For information regarding incorporated cities in Fresno County and their respective tire programs, view our Other Weblinks page.
For more information on Tire Safety and the Tire Recycling Market:
For more information on the Tire Management Program from the state:
Please call the Resources Division at (559) 600-4259 if you have any questions or need information about Recycling. You can also email staff at recycling@fresnocountyca.gov.