If you’ve drive by an old junkyard and seen piles of tires in the corner, you might have wondered why they hadn’t been disposed of yet. Knowing how and where to dispose of waste tires is a challenge. Identifying the cost and finding funding is a necessary step towards working waste tire management into your business model.
Besides being unsightly, “waste tires” pose a number of environmental hazards: catching fire, collecting water that becomes a breading ground for mosquitos, and leaving behind hazardous oil residue that pollutes surface and groundwater.
Fortunately, Indiana’s Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has funding and resources to help dispose of old tires properly.
Funding
For solid waste management districts (SWMDs), IDEM offers Waste Tire Grants of upto $10,000 to help local communities remove and properly dispose of waste tires.
If you’re a business, you may want to check out the Recycling Market Development Grant Program. This is not only an opportunity to decrease your waste tire “collection”, but to recycle and reuse tires as a marketable resource. For example, waste tires can be retreaded to produce new tires or turned into commonly used products such as floor mats, running tracks or rubber mulch.
Companies operating in Indiana that develop a project to increase waste tire collection for recycling or consumption could receive up to $500,000 through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s. This particular program is ongoing with the next submissions being accepted in the spring of 2026.
Technical Assistance
If you need help navigating the local laws of Marion County Indiana as it related to pollution prevention or finding resources to help with your businesses waste tires, please contact us for a free business assessment.
Additionally, IDEM’s Compliance and Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) can help you navigate the process of proper disposal, remediate existing problems created by the accumulation of large piles of tires, and identify and incorporate best management practices for waste tire management.
Looking to connect with other general waste producers? IDEM holds quarterly virtual Recycling Roundtable Discussions. Stakeholders involved in waste management and recycling market development are invited to these meetings to share best practices, discuss issues and learn from experts across the waste management field. You can find a list of previous meeting recordings on the Roundtable page as well.
Knowing the local laws and how and where to dispose of tires properly in Marion County is an important part of protecting groundwater sources in our drinking water protection areas from pollution. Let’s work together to protect it!
