Tires Piling Up in Manitoba Landfills

Wendy Angel

Winnipeg, Manitoba -- Despite a recycling program designed to prevent tire disposal at landfills, large tires are being sent to landfills in the Canadian province of Manitoba. A tire stewardship program that started 13 years ago has stopped taking responsibility for farm and industrial tires because the program is running out of money. Manitobans pay for the recycling program through a three-dollar fee on passenger and truck tires at the time of purchase, but fees have not increased in a decade and tire pick-up costs have increased. Because of the funding shortfall, more than 3,000 used tires have accumulated at retailers and landfills in the province. Provincial officials say that the tires will eventually be retrieved once the recycling program’s funding gets reconfigured.