How Recycling Tires Can Revitalize a Community
When Rebuilding Together North Jersey selected Ringwood, N.J. as our community revitalization partnership neighborhood, we noticed that almost every home had a stack or pile of tires in the yard. As active listeners in our community, we approached this observation with a desire to learn more and align our efforts to the needs and interests of our community to have a bigger impact in the area.
We learned that the old tires, known as waste tires, carry a cost to recycle and present environmental, health and safety hazards. As consumers, when purchasing a new tire, we’re given the choice to pay a fee to recycle the old tire or take it back and avoid the fee. Members of our community were choosing to save money and hang on to the old tires, which is why they were piling up.
So, what’s the big deal? Well, we know that the old tires laying around are harmful. Discarded tires contain chemicals that leach into the soil and can negatively effect the ground water. These chemicals are toxic and contain carcinogenic and mutagenic substances. In addition, the standing water that collects in the tires creates a breeding ground for mosquitos, which are not only a nuisance, but they can also carry diseases.
The tires are posing an environmental health issue, and Ringwood, N.J. has already experienced a history of environmental injustice. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the area has been designated a Superfund Site twice; first in September 1983, then again in 2006 after discovering more contamination including long-lasting toxic substances. The 500-acre Ringwood Mines/Landfill site has abandoned mine shafts and pits, inactive landfills and open waste dumps. Beginning in the 1960s, Ford Motor Company and the Borough of Ringwood improperly disposed of waste, including car parts and paint sludge, at the site. With EPA oversight, Ford took actions to remove the contaminants with site investigations and long-term cleanup efforts that continue to this day.
The last thing this community needs is another environmental hazard! With grant funding and the community’s support, we hired a tire recycling contractor to collect and properly recycle the tires for free. Residents were invited to roll their old tires from their property to the curb for proper removal, some hauling more than 70 tires to the street. As anticipation built on the official Tire Recycling Day, we thought: can we fill the entire truck? Yes, we did!
We filled the truck with 619 tires, removing an environmental, health and safety hazard and improving the health and safety of community residents for generations to come. The tire removal may seem small, but we have a renewed sense of excitement and inspiration and will continue to be active listeners in our community to have a bigger impact.
To learn more about our work in Ringwood, N.J., click here.