How can I reuse or recycle old used tyres (tires)?
We’ve had an email from Neil Williams about used car tyres:
I’ve just moved into a new house and when I finally hacked through the nettles at the bottom of the garden, I found a set of old car tyres.
They look like they’ve been there for a good few years so probably aren’t any good for a car now and I know some companies make them into mouse pads and stuff but I was wondering what I can do with them myself.
My dad used to use tyres (AKA tires) as planters for growing veg – a single tyre became an instant raised beds for lettuce or herbs or a few stacked on top of each other became deep bins for potatoes. I guess the stacked ones could also be used as a compost heap too.
Any other suggestions?
Best Suggestions
- Reduce: Drive more carefully – especially in terms of cornering, accelerating and breaking – and keep your tyres at the advised pressure level to extend their lifespan on your car.
- Reuse: Use them to make quick raised beds for growing veg, either singly or stacked up on top of each other for growing root veg. A sheet of semi-rigid plastic or wood across the bottom one will suffice as a base if you want to move them around.
- Recycle: Some recycling companies collect them for shredding – the resulting rubber is then either reprocessed into new items or used for soft landings in children’s play areas.
- See the comments below for more suggestions and ideas
(Photo by dragon_art)
