How to Dispose of Old Tires in Terre Haute

Scrap tires are one of the most regulated everyday waste items in Indiana, and for good reason: piled-up tires trap water and breed mosquitoes, and tire fires are notoriously difficult to put out. The state manages waste tires from the point of sale all the way to the recycler, which is why you cannot simply toss them in with your household trash. Here is how to dispose of old tires the right way in Terre Haute and the surrounding counties.

How Indiana regulates waste tires

Under the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) rules, waste tires are tracked. When you buy a new tire, Indiana law has the retailer collect a small waste-tire fee (25 cents per new tire) that funds the state's tire-management efforts. Businesses that move scrap tires must be registered waste-tire transporters and use a waste-tire manifest so the load can be traced from the generator to a permitted end site. Tires are kept out of ordinary landfill loads. In practice, that means old tires need to go to a proper channel, not the curb.

Option 1: Leave them with the tire retailer

By far the easiest path: when you have new tires installed, let the shop take the old ones. Tire dealers deal with scrap tires every day and roll the disposal into your service — often for a per-tire fee of a few dollars. If you are replacing tires anyway, this is the simplest, most compliant option and requires nothing extra from you.

Option 2: Vigo County collection events

The Vigo County Solid Waste Management District and its partners periodically host cleanup and special collection events where residents can bring items that do not belong in the trash. Tire-collection opportunities come up from time to time, sometimes with limits on the number of tires per household and sometimes for a small fee. Because these are scheduled events, check with the District at (812) 231-4451 or on its site for the next date and the rules before you load up.

Option 3: A registered tire hauler or recycler

If you have a larger quantity — say you cleaned out a property and found a stack of them — the correct route is a registered waste-tire transporter or a tire-recycling facility. Recycled tires are turned into crumb rubber, tire-derived fuel, and other products. Ask any facility to confirm it is properly permitted and that your load will be manifested.

Option 4: Full-service tire pickup

Do not have a truck, or do not want to drive tires around town waiting for an event? We will pick them up — whether it is four tires in the garage or a heap left behind by a previous owner — and route them to a compliant disposal path. Because tires cannot ride along in a normal landfill load, they are handled separately and priced accordingly, which we will explain up front. Call or text (812) 803-2110.

What happens to recycled tires

Tires that go through the proper channel do not just get buried — they become useful products. Scrap tires are shredded into crumb rubber for playground and athletic surfaces, ground for use in some asphalt and mats, or processed into tire-derived fuel. That is the whole point of Indiana's tracking system: it steers tires toward these end uses and away from illegal piles and burn spots. When you dispose of tires the right way, you are feeding that recycling stream.

Common tire situations we see

• “I bought a house and the previous owner left a pile.” Very common. A stack of weathered tires in a garage, shed, or back lot is best handled by a scheduled pickup or a registered hauler, since it is usually too many for a retail counter.
• “I've got four old tires in the garage taking up space.” Leave them with the shop next time you buy tires, catch a county event, or add them to a junk pickup.
• “There are tractor or trailer tires on the property.” Large agricultural and truck tires are heavier and priced differently; mention the sizes so we can quote them correctly.

What to know before disposal

• Rims: Tires with the rims still on may be priced differently, since the steel usually has to be separated. Let us know which you have.
• Quantity matters. Most event and retailer options work best for small numbers; large piles are better handled by a hauler or a scheduled pickup.
• Never burn or bury tires. It is illegal, and tire fires and buried tires are exactly the problems the state's rules exist to prevent.
• Don't let them collect water. Standing water in stored tires is a prime mosquito breeding ground — another reason to move them along.

Bottom line

For a few tires, hand them to the shop that installs your new ones or watch for a county collection event. For a bigger pile — or if you just want them gone — a scheduled pickup routes them to a registered, permitted disposal path so you stay on the right side of Indiana's tire rules.

Sources & further reading

• IDEM — Waste Tire Regulations
• IDEM — Managing Waste Tires in Indiana (PDF)
• Vigo County Solid Waste Management District

Local facility names, programs, and rules above were last verified August 2026. Fees, hours, and event dates change — call the facility to confirm current details before you haul.