SCRANTON — Got old tires? If you live in Lackawanna County, there’s a place you can go this week to recycle them.
The county is holding its annual tire collection event at its recycling center on Boulevard Avenue in Scranton.
They accept residential passenger tires of any size, bicycle tires, even cut tires.
The recycling coordinator of the county’s environmental department tells us she wants to get them out of the environment for health and safety reasons. She tells us abandoned tires are a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
“They will lay their eggs in abandoned tires where there’s water sitting, the mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus and we don’t want that,” said Barbara Giovagnoli, recycling coordinator.
The only tires not being recycled are the big rig tires.
The cost per tire is $2, but if you leave the rims on them, it will cost you upwards of $10.
Pete Harding of Mount Cobb dropped off a few small tires.
“I think it’s great to have a place like this. If more people use it, it’s better for the whole county,” he said.
Without it, Harding says they would probably end up in the woods.
And tossing tires in the woods can create problems, especially when those piles of rubber sit for a while.
They hold heat, which can start a fire, or someone could torch them.
There was a big tire fire earlier this year in Moosic.
“Some of these forested areas are over mine sites and these hot fires can actually start underground coal mine fires,” said Giovagnoli,
Over the past decade, Lackawanna County has recycled hundreds of tons of tires and hopes people continue to do the right thing.
“People need to have a facility they believe is a proper facility to take their tires to dispose of properly,” added Giovagnoli.
The Boulevard Avenue location in Scranton will be collecting tires through Saturday.
There are other municipalities around the county also offering the service.
For a complete list click here.
