Where to toss your old tires
A tire and oil recycling collection is six weeks away but phones already have been ringing at the Lake County Farm Bureau.
"We always get a huge turn out but it's been about eight years since we've done one," said Greg Koeppen, farm bureau manager.
The bureau, along with the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, will host the event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 13 at the Lake County Fairgrounds, Routes 45 and 120, Grayslake.
Koeppen said there is pent-up demand to get rid of old tires.
"In 2000, we had over 60 tons of tires. In 1994, we had over 100 tons of tires," he said.
Farmers tend to accumulate tires, as do various municipal facilities. But there are other sources for the estimated one used tire per person per year in Illinois.
"You get the guy who's used the big tractor tire in his front yard for years as a planter and now doesn't know what to do with it," Koeppen said.
Tires and motor oil have been banned from Illinois landfills for years. Every discarded tire is a potential habitat for disease carrying organisms and insects, especially mosquitoes, which can carry West Nile virus.
Passenger car, truck and tractor tires will be accepted and can be on or off the rim. Individuals can only participate in the tire-recycling program one time and names will be checked against a list from previous events.
Tire dealers or commercial trucking or bus companies will not be allowed to participate. Large industrial tires will not be accepted.
A new component of the event will be accepting used motor oil for recycling. Used oil should be free of water, gas, antifreeze or other contaminates. Farm motor oil in barrels will be pumped out on site. All containers will be drained and returned.
Hazardous materials, including antifreeze, will not be accepted.
The event is free, although the farm bureau is encouraging a $2 donation per tire to be used for agricultural education.
Call the farm bureau at (847) 223-6506 or SWALCO at (847) 336-9340.