Responsible Tyre Disposal: What Happens to Your Old Tyres?

When a mobile tyre fitter replaces your tyres, the old ones don't simply vanish. In the UK, used tyres are classified as controlled waste and cannot be legally disposed of in household bins, fly-tipped, or sent to landfill in whole tyre form. Responsible disposal is both a legal requirement and an environmental duty.

The Legal Framework

The Environmental Protection Act and subsequent waste regulations place strict duties on tyre fitters and waste carriers. Businesses that handle used tyres must register as waste carriers with the Environment Agency and transfer used tyres only to authorised treatment facilities. When you choose a professional, registered mobile tyre fitter like Pegasus Mobile Tyres, you can be confident your old tyres are handled correctly and legally.

How Tyres Are Recycled

Waste tyres collected by authorised carriers go to licensed processing facilities. The most common processing method is shredding and granulation — tyres are reduced to rubber crumb, steel, and textile fibre, all of which have secondary uses. Rubber crumb is used in playground surfaces, artificial sports pitches, running tracks, and new rubber products. The steel is recycled through conventional metal recycling routes. Energy recovery is another route — certain industrial processes can use tyre-derived fuel as a clean-burning energy source.

What You Should Ask Your Tyre Fitter

When booking a mobile tyre fitting service, confirm that old tyre disposal is included in the quoted price and that the fitter operates under a valid waste carrier licence. At Pegasus Mobile Tyres, old tyre collection and responsible disposal is included as standard in every fitting job across West Yorkshire.