Old tyres cannot go in your household bin, into a skip or to landfill. Most tyres are banned from landfill, so they have to be reused or recycled instead. For most drivers the easiest answer is to leave old tyres with the fitter when new ones go on. If you already have a pile in the garage, shed or garden, your options are to ask a local garage, check what your council accepts, or use a registered waste carrier. Whatever you choose, the person who takes your tyres must be authorised to do so, because if they end up dumped, you can be held responsible.
Why you cannot just throw tyres away
Most tyres are banned from landfill. The only exception is very large heavy plant tyres over 1.4 metres in diameter, which can still be landfilled with the right permits. That means every car, van, motorbike and bicycle tyre needs to go to a reuse or recycling route.
Tyres are also bulky, awkward to move, and a fire risk when they are stockpiled. Unfortunately, that combination also makes them tempting for rogue collectors to dump in lanes, lay-bys and on farmland. Handing them to the right people from the start protects you and your neighbourhood.
Tyre disposal Glasgow
Your options for getting rid of tyres
1. Leave them with the tyre fitter
When you have new tyres fitted at a garage or tyre centre, the simplest option is to leave the old ones behind. Fitters often add a disposal charge for each tyre, so ask about it when you book and check whether the price you are quoted includes it. Some garages will also take spare tyres you have at home, while others only accept tyres they have removed themselves, so phone ahead rather than turning up with a car full.
2. Check what your council offers
Council policies on tyres vary across Scotland. Recycling centres that do accept them may limit how many you can bring or accept them from residents only. Check your council's website or phone the recycling centre before you load the car, rather than assuming tyres will be accepted.
3. Use a registered collector or waste carrier
Specialist tyre collectors and general waste carriers can take tyres away for you, which saves you hunting for a garage or site that will accept them. Before you hand anything over, ask for the company's waste carrier registration and check it on SEPA's public register of waste carriers. Ask where the tyres will go, too. A legitimate firm will be happy to tell you.
4. Do not put them in a skip
Tyres should never go in a skip. Skip hire firms commonly list them as a restricted item because they cannot be landfilled, so check the terms before you hire. If you are clearing a garage or garden that has a few old tyres in it, keep them separate. Our comparison of house clearance and skip hire covers other items skips will not take.
5. Reuse tyres that still have life in them
A tyre that still has plenty of tread is not necessarily waste. Reuse of part-worn tyres is one of the recognised recycling routes, so if you have a set of decent tyres from a car you have sold or scrapped, a local tyre business may be interested. Be honest about their age and condition.
Your duty of care and the fly-tipping risk
In Scotland, householders must only give their waste to an authorised person, such as a waste carrier registered with SEPA. The cheap "we take anything" van from social media is a real risk with tyres: if they end up dumped and the person you paid was not authorised, you can be held responsible. The fixed penalty for fly-tipping in Scotland is £500, and on conviction the fine can reach £40,000, with imprisonment possible.
Our guide on why you should use a registered firm rather than a white van man lists the red flags, and our post about fly-tipping and the law in Scotland explains how to report dumped waste.
Why tyres cannot be recycled by just anyone
Tyres are made from a tough mix of rubber, steel and fabric that is designed not to break down, which is great on the road and difficult at the end of a tyre's life. Storing, treating and transporting waste tyres is regulated, and businesses that produce or handle them have specific responsibilities. NetRegs guidance on used and waste tyres sets these out for garages, farms and other businesses in Scotland.
What happens to recycled tyres?
Once tyres reach a proper recycling route, there are several ways they can be given a new use:
- Retreading: a sound tyre casing can be given a new tread and go back on the road.
- Reuse: part-worn tyres with legal, usable tread can be sold on.
- Crumb rubber: tyres are shredded and ground down, the steel is separated, and the rubber becomes a raw material for new products.
- Engineering uses: whole or processed tyres can be used in construction and civil engineering work.
- Fuel: some tyres are used as fuel in cement kilns.
Tyres from businesses and farms
Garages, haulage yards, farms and other businesses have the same duty of care as householders and more. They must also complete waste transfer notes when tyres leave the premises and keep waste contained until it is collected. Building up a stockpile in a yard is never a good idea, so arrange regular collections with an authorised carrier.
How Jettison Express can help
Jettison Express is a Glasgow-based clearance company and registered waste carrier. If you are clearing out a garage, shed or yard, we can take old tyres along with everything else as part of a garage clearance in Glasgow or a wider rubbish clearance. Tell us how many tyres you have, and roughly what size, when you get in touch so we can confirm the job and give you an up-front rate. Our uniformed team call ahead, do all the lifting, sweep up afterwards and leave you with paperwork. Waste goes back to our depot to be sorted, and we recycle over 90% of what we collect. For one-off items, our junk removal service covers homes and businesses across central Scotland.
To arrange a collection, contact Jettison Express or call 0333 880 6800, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.
Frequently asked questions
Are tyres banned from landfill in Scotland?
Yes, most tyres are banned from landfill. The only exception is very large heavy plant tyres over 1.4 metres in diameter, which can still be landfilled with the right permits. Car, van, motorbike and bicycle tyres must go to a reuse or recycling route instead, such as retreading, part-worn reuse, crumb rubber, engineering uses or fuel for cement kilns.
Can I put old tyres in a skip?
No. Tyres should not go in a skip, because they cannot be sent to landfill, and skip hire firms commonly list them as a restricted item. Keep them out of your load: leave them with a tyre fitter, check what your council accepts, or use a registered waste carrier who can take them to a proper recycling route.
Can I take old tyres to the tip?
Sometimes. Recycling centres that accept tyres may limit how many you can bring or accept them from residents only, and some do not take them at all. Check your council's website or phone the recycling centre before you travel. If they cannot help, a garage or a registered waste carrier is the next option.
How do I check a tyre collector is legitimate?
Ask for their waste carrier registration and check it on SEPA's public register of waste carriers before handing anything over. Ask where the tyres will go and whether you will get paperwork. Be wary of very cheap offers on social media: if tyres you paid someone to remove are fly-tipped and they were not authorised, you can be held responsible.