There are more than 15 million licensed drivers in the Lone Star State and 22 million registered vehicles. While cars and trucks are an essential part of the lives of many Texans, they can cause air and water pollution and contribute to the waste stream. However, there are many ways we can Take Care of Texas while we’re on the road. Read on to learn how to preserve the life of your tires and dispose of them once the tread is too low.

Preserve Your Tires

Over 47,000 tons of tires were sent to Texas landfills last year. You can help reduce the number of tires sent to the landfill by taking care of the ones you have.

It’s critical to keep your tires properly inflated. This will help your tires last longer and you’ll improve your gas mileage and stay safer on the road. Tires lose pressure over time, so check the pressure on all four of your tires once a month. Hot and cold weather affect tire pressure and underinflation can cause tire failure.

The label located on the edge of the driver’s door will tell you what tire pressure the manufacturer recommends for your car or truck.

When It’s Time to Get Rid of Your Tires

You can tell when your tread is too low by using the ‘penny test’. Insert a penny upside down. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, the tread is too low. Test your tire tread monthly. When you can no longer use the tires, make sure to dispose of them properly.

When tires are laying around, they can cause problems. Disease carrying pests, such as rodents or mosquitoes, may live in tire piles. And these piles can also catch on fire.

There are numerous options for getting rid of old tires:

• Look for tire recycling options on Earth911.com.
• Some garages accept and recycle your used tires when you have new ones installed.
• Check with your local government to find out if they pick up tires during a bulk collection event.
• Some landfills accept scrap tires, but they usually charge a fee. Find an active municipal solid waste landfill in your county.
• If you have a lot of tires, you may need to hire a scrap tire transporter to pick them up and haul them to an authorized facility.
• If someone has dumped tires on your property, you can contact the TCEQ office for your region or file a complaint online. It is still important to dispose of the tires properly.

Learn what to do with other items that are hard to dispose of.