Bike Tire Recycling Project

[qbauer]

Hello Portland Bikers!

I am an Americorps Member serving here in Portland with the Northwest Service Academy. As part of my year of service I am required to complete a Community Action Project (CAP). For my CAP I have decided to complete a bike tire recycling round-up. I am planning to collect as many bicycle tires from our community as possible and then deliver them to a local recycler which turns them into rubber mats, and rubber material for children’s play areas. I was hoping to get some information from local bikers on where old bike tires are ending up and the best places to collect them to be recycled. Also I am trying to come up with some fundraising ideas because the fee for recycling is $1 per 12 tires. Lastly, if anyone has some old tires stored up or needs to get rid of a couple you can contact me and I will let you know how to get them to me. I hope with the support and help of Portland’s bicycle community we can make this project a huge success and keep bike tires out of our landfills! You can contact me by e-mail at qbauer@gmail.com. Thanks!

[Attornatus_Oregonensis]

Hello Portland Bikers!

I am an Americorps Member serving here in Portland with the Northwest Service Academy. As part of my year of service I am required to complete a Community Action Project (CAP). For my CAP I have decided to complete a bike tire recycling round-up. I am planning to collect as many bicycle tires from our community as possible and then deliver them to a local recycler which turns them into rubber mats, and rubber material for children’s play areas. I was hoping to get some information from local bikers on where old bike tires are ending up and the best places to collect them to be recycled. Also I am trying to come up with some fundraising ideas because the fee for recycling is $1 per 12 tires. Lastly, if anyone has some old tires stored up or needs to get rid of a couple you can contact me and I will let you know how to get them to me. I hope with the support and help of Portland’s bicycle community we can make this project a huge success and keep bike tires out of our landfills! You can contact me by e-mail at qbauer@gmail.com. Thanks!


So, let me make sure I've got this right: The recycler charges you a fee for them to recycle the tires and then re-sell them, in recycled form, for profit?

Bike shops generally keep tires they take off peoples' bikes. You should find out what a few of the big shops do with them to get a sense of what kind of source shops would be. My guess is that they'd be a good source.

Also, you could get someone -- probably any of the shops -- to let you set up a bin in the parking lot for tire drop-off. Then you could publicize the drop-off site(s).

Good luck, and please keep us posted...

[BillD]

So, let me make sure I've got this right: The recycler charges you a fee for them to recycle the tires and then re-sell them, in recycled form, for profit?

...................snip.............

It's been that way for years for all tires. That's why car tire dealers charge a fee to dispose of your worn out take offs. In addition to the uses mentioned, a large part of the recycled tires from the recycler on N. Borthwick go to power plants in Washington as "hog fuel". Beats the alternatives (oil, nuclear). Here's the fee schedule:

http://www.metro-region.org/article.cfm?articleID=1383&do=detail&rid=343


Sounds like a worthwhile project.

Bill