CHARLESTOWN — Free tire recycling is once again available throughout the state thanks to a new round of grant funding.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has awarded 32 locations a total of more than $300,000 to lessen health and environmental issues caused by discarded tires from vehicles and farm equipment.
“Stockpiled or illegally discarded tires can catch fire, harbor disease-carrying mosquitoes and rodents and contribute to other public health concerns,” IDEM said in announcing the 2026 grants.
Debby McGrath, director of the Clark County Recycling District in Charlestown, said the money helps residents, especially farmers, get rid of tires that can accumulate over time.
The district charges $2.50 for each passenger vehicle tire and sometimes as much as $60 for tractor tires that can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. A standard car tire weighs between 15 and 25 pounds and a tire on a pickup or SUV weighs 35 pounds or more.
This is the third year Clark County has received a Waste Tire Program grant. Before the grant program, Clark County recycled about 30,000 pounds of tires each year. In 2025, the district collected 94,000 pounds of rubber tires.
“We have a full container that’s ready to go,” McGrath said. “There’s probably at least 300 in there, including a few big farm tires on rims.”
The tires get hauled across the Ohio River to a Louisville plant that shreds the rubber and recycles it for products like playground mulch. Clark County started collecting tires without charge in June, and McGrath expects the free disposal to last through September.
“It makes a huge difference, and I hope IDEM can continue this. It’s a big cost saver for people, especially farmers,” she said. “Our goal is to get as many of them out of the environment as possible.”
McGrath said people have been calling her office to see if the grant money and free tire disposal is available this year. She hears not just from farmers but also residents who inherit or buy property that has a stockpile of tires. “Some people might have 10 tires to get rid of.”
Grant recipients include agencies in Allen, Bartholomew, Cass, Clark, Decatur, Fountain, Gibson, Greene, Hancock, Henry, Howard, Jay, Knox, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Marshall, Monroe, Orange, Owen, Randolph, Porter, Rush, Shelby, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Wabash, Warren, Wells and Whitley counties. Hagerstown and Indianapolis also received grants.
FPI News reporter Laura Lane covers the people and issues of rural Indiana. Reach her at 812-760-1540 or laura.lane@fpinews.org.
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