"Free tire recycling near me" is searched about 3,600 times a month worldwide, according to Ubersuggest, with "tire disposal fee" about 1,600, "tire recycling fees" about 1,600, "how to dispose of old tires" about 1,300 and "tire disposal fee Walmart" about 480. The searchers are not selling anything. They have worn tires and want to know what it costs, or whether it can be free. This guide explains what the fees are for, how they are collected in the places we found information about, why some collection points advertise free recycling and what to ask. It belongs to our guide to selling scrap cars, car parts and used tires online, and it follows who buys scrap tires, and do they pay. The figures are examples, undated in places, and we say which. A disclosure: ScrapTrade is a scrap marketplace and profits from scrap trading.
What the fee is for
A used tire is a bulky waste that costs money to collect, shred and process, and we found no source showing that the products that come out pay for the process. Places that want tires kept out of dumps and fires therefore fund collection with a charge. The charge is usually per tire, and where it sits, at purchase or at disposal, differs by jurisdiction. Retailers often add a line to a new-tire invoice, and some charge a separate fee to take the old tire. We did not find a source that distinguishes a government levy from a retailer's own handling charge in each case, so ask which one you are paying.
Examples we found
- United States. One source says most states charge a fee at purchase, typically from 25 cents to 2 dollars a tire, with more for off-road tires. An undated table listed 1 dollar a tire in Florida and 2.50 in Illinois, and it needs checking against current statutes. Louisiana is reported to charge more for heavier and off-road tires.
- Canada. Programs are run by the provinces, and a source says all introduced tire programs in the 1990s after a 1990 Ontario tire fire. Most use a per-tire fee collected at sale, which funds hauling and recycling. Manitoba's fee is paid by sellers to a not-for-profit producer organization, with an increase to 14 dollars for medium truck tires from July 2021.
- Ontario. The government eco-fee ended on 1 October 2018 and a producer-funded model replaced it. Fees had been about 4.50 dollars for a passenger or light-truck tire and 14.50 for a semi or medium-duty tire, and one large producer organization raised them to about 5 and 15 dollars from 1 January 2026, according to a source we could not confirm further.
- Elsewhere. We found nothing on European Union or other countries' tire fees, so we say nothing about them.
Why some drop-offs are free
Where a levy is paid on every new tire, the money funds a collection system, and the people who run it can accept old tires without charging you again. In our reading this explains offers of "free tire recycling", though we did not review specific programs, and a free drop-off may still limit the number, size or type of tires, or exclude tires on rims. Ask what is accepted, how many, and whether a fee applies to larger tires such as truck or off-road ones, which cost more in the Canadian examples above.
How to dispose of old tires
- Find out whether a levy applies where you are. The state, provincial or national tire program, if there is one, is the place to look.
- Ask the retailer. When you buy new tires, ask whether the old ones are taken, and for what.
- Check your municipal waste office. Some run drop-off days or sites. We did not review them.
- Check stewardship programs. Where a producer-funded program exists, it may list approved collectors.
- Keep the receipt. It records what was handed over and to whom.
- Never dump or burn tires. It is illegal in many places and a fire risk, and we did not review each jurisdiction.
Businesses and larger quantities
A shop or fleet with a stack of tires is in a different position from a driver with four. The fee may be set by the program, and collectors may quote by count or weight, with a licensed hauler taking them to a processor. Ask for the hauler's licence where one is required, a written rate and a receipt with the count, as our guide to checking a hauler explains.
Where ScrapTrade fits
ScrapTrade is not a disposal service and does not collect tires, so for worn tires the answer is a retailer, a municipal program or a licensed hauler. What it offers is for sound used stock and casings in volume, sold to verified traders in more than 50 countries, with no listing fee or commission and live negotiation. An accepted bid places the buyer's 5 percent deposit in escrow, and businesses and individuals can sell after verification. We could not confirm that tires can be listed, so ask cs@scraptrade.com.au first.
What we could not verify
- Current fees in any place. The figures are examples, one of them an undated table.
- Whether a given charge is a levy or a retailer's own fee.
- European and other countries' tire programs.
- Whether ScrapTrade accepts tires.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I pay a tire disposal fee?
Used tires cost money to collect and process, and many places fund that with a per-tire charge, collected at purchase or at disposal.
How much is a tire disposal fee?
It varies. One source gives 25 cents to 2 dollars a tire in US states, and Canadian provincial fees are higher for truck tires. Check the program where you live.
Is free tire recycling really free?
In places where a levy funds the program, drop-off may be free of an extra charge, with limits on number or type. Ask what applies.
Can I sell tires to avoid the fee?
Only sound used tires and casings are bought. Worn tires usually need disposal, and our scrap tire buyers guide explains the exceptions.
Sources
- Ubersuggest keyword data, global, queried November 2026.
- Product Stewardship Institute briefing, Canadian provincial tire program summaries and Jalopnik's explainer on tire disposal fees, as summarised in search results.
- Ontario producer-responsibility fee notices, as summarised in search results.
- ScrapTrade website, accessed November 2026.
General information only, not legal advice. Fees change and differ by place.