Industry Rolls Old Tires into Green Products
Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) is an industry-funded
organization introducing The Used Tires Program – a
province-wide initiative to collect and recycle used
on-road and off-road tires in Ontario.
• The Program will manage over 12 million tires
sold in Ontario annually, and divert scrap tires away
from burning and landfilling to 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle) uses such as rubber mats or rubber products
used in making playgrounds, hockey rinks and rubber
automotive parts.
• An extensive network of collection locations across
the province will now make it easier for Ontario
consumers to recycle their used tires, while tracking
systems will help eliminate illegal dumping of scrap
tires and ensure that tires are managed by service
providers that have adopted best practices.
• The Program also includes an aggressive three-year
plan to eliminate the approximately 2.8 million
stockpiled tire sites across the province.
How the Used Tires Program benefits Ontario and
its residents
Tire technology is constantly improving but there is an
unavoidable end of life to every tire. Now with the
Used Tires Program in Ontario you have a few more
reasons to feel good about your next tire purchase –
knowing responsible management of the old ones
results in:
4 Environmental Benefits
Responsible management of used tires will
eliminate the unauthorized disposal of scrap
tires and promote safer methods of reusing and
recycling scrap tires into green products
4 Economic Growth
The Used Tire Program will create jobs and ensure
economic growth by injecting over $23 million
in scrap tire recycling - in the first year alone
4 Health and Safety
Ontario Tire Stewardship will clear tire stockpiles
protecting both Ontarians and the environment
4 Innovation
The Program will manage over 12
million tires sold in Ontario annually, and
divert scrap tires away from
burning for fuel and land filling
to recycling into new green products
Which tires are included in the Program?
On-Road Vehicles
• Passenger Tires, Small RV and Trailer Tires,
Light Truck Tires and Temporary Spares
• Motorcycle, Golf Cart
• Small Utility
• Free Rolling Farm Tires
• Medium Truck Tires
Off-Road Vehicles
• Agricultural Drive and Logger Skidder Tires
• Forklift, Construction Equipment Tires
• Small, Medium, Large and Giant
Off-the-Road Tires
For more detailed information on the types
of tires included in the program please visit
www.ontarioTS.ca
Funding for research and development of scrap
tire management options to create new processes
and markets for recycled rubber products within
the province
END USES FOR SCRAP TIRES
Ontario residents can now drop off their used tires
free of charge at all OTS registered collection sites
If you are purchasing new tires and need someone to
take your old set or have tires sitting in your garage
or backyard, as part of the new Used Tires Program
registered collectors will accept your old tires and
no longer charge you a disposal fee.
Scrap tires are a valuable resource when reused or recycled into new products. Examples of recycled uses in Ontario are:
• Tire-derived aggregates used instead of stone
• Crumb rubber that goes into everything from sports fields and hockey rinks to quieter, more durable roads
• Finished goods like floor mats, soaker hoses, mouse pads and rubber components for your car’s engine
Frequently asked questions
Why does Ontario need a Used Tires Program?
Ontario will now be equipped to recycle on-road and
off-road used tires while benefiting the entire province
environmentally and economically. The Used Tires
Program will remove tire stockpiles as well as recycle
tires into household, commercial and automotive products, creating green jobs and economic benefits right
here in Ontario.
What is the difference between used and scrap tires?
Used tires are the tires removed from a vehicle that still
have life as tires and can be sold for reuse. Scrap tires
no longer have life as tires and are destined for recycling
into tire-derived products.
Where do I take my used tires?
The Used Tires Program includes a comprehensive network
of registered collection locations making it easier for
Ontarians to recycle their old tires. The registered collection
locations will accept tires from your car, industrial, farm
and off-road vehicles, and even the scrap tires that have
been sitting in your garage or backyard for years.
Registered Collectors will be obligated to accept up to 4
used tires per person without charge or the person having
to make a purchase.
Is the Tire Stewardship Fee a tax?
The Tire Stewardship Fee (TSF) is not a tax. The TSF is
levied by Ontario Tire Stewardship, an industry funded
organization, composed of brand owners and first
importers of tires. It is used to fund the management
of used tires including the collection, transportation and
processing costs of used tires, and the remediation of
tire stockpiles. None of the funds collected from the
TSF will go to government.
Where do the used tires go?
Your tires will now find new life through Ontario-based
scrap tire processors and manufacturers in end-of-life
products for home, commercial and industrial uses from
playgrounds and hockey rinks to rubber automotive parts.
Through the Used Tires Program the need to transport
used tires to other provinces or export to foreign countries
will be significantly reduced and ultimately eliminated.
Industry Rolls
Old Tires into
Green
GreenPr ducts
How much will it cost me to drop off my used tires?
Starting September 1st, 2009 there will no longer be
a tire disposal fee if you drop off your used tires at a
registered collection location.
How do I find a collection location?
For more information on used tire collection locations
visit the OTS website at www.ontarioTS.ca
How is the Program being funded?
The Used Tires Program is funded by tire manufacturers
and tire importers who must remit a Tire Stewardship
Fee to OTS for every tire they supply into the Ontario
market.
Toll-free: 1-888-OTS-2202
E-mail: [email protected]
A planet-friendly plan to
recycle scrap tires in Ontario
www.ontarioTS.ca
www.ontarioTS.ca