With spring and warmer weather approaching, questions from car owners come to the fore once again – where should old tyres be taken, and what is the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of them? As the tyre-changing season arrives, it is worth remembering that worn tyres must not be thrown out with household waste, and certainly not left at the roadside or in the forest, where they cause harm to the surrounding environment.
To encourage public responsibility and improve access to the correct disposal of worn tyres, AS "AJ Power Recycling", in cooperation with SIA "3R" and the regional waste managers SIA "Ķilupe", SIA "Kuldīgas komunālie pakalpojumi", SIA "Bauskas novada komunālserviss" and SIA "AAS "Piejūra"" is running the environmental campaign "Give tyres a second life" until 2 June, during which residents can hand in worn passenger car tyres free of charge. The campaign will take place in Bauska, Iecava, Tukums, Talsi, Kandava, Kuldīga, Ogre, Skrīveri, Koknese, Lielvārde and Madliena.
Free tyre collection campaigns are one way of encouraging drivers to dispose of tyres in an environmentally friendly manner. The environmental campaign has been organised seasonally since 2017, and the annual figures show that drivers are increasingly interested in disposing of old tyres responsibly when a free collection option is available. During the 2023 campaign, drivers handed in almost 25 thousand worn tyres for recycling.
Recycling tyres reduces the negative impact on the environment and creates opportunities to reuse the recovered material. Tyres collected for recycling can be turned into granules, which are widely used in the manufacture of sports ground surfaces, in construction, in road building, in making various mats and pads, and elsewhere.
"Worn tyres should definitely not be thrown out with other waste, nor disposed of by dumping them in the countryside. Tyres are environmentally harmful goods, so their disposal must be entrusted to recycling companies. We are pleased that the annual environmental campaign is producing ever better results. The number of responsible car owners is growing year on year, and as a result the environment around us is becoming cleaner and safer. Through this campaign we are making tyre disposal conveniently available to a wide range of people, because it is precisely the option of handing in worn tyres free of charge that encourages responsible tyre management," says Uldis Skrebs, member of the board of AS "AJ Power Recycling".
Worn passenger car tyres will be accepted free of charge:
From 11.04.2024 to 04.05.2024 at the sorted waste collection sites of SIA "Bauskas novada komunālserviss":
BAUSKA, BIRŽU IELA 8B (Opening hours: weekdays 8.00-12.00 and 13.00-17.00, Saturdays 08.00-12.00.), IECAVA, EDVARTA VIRZAS IELA 46 (Opening hours: weekdays 8.00-12.00 and 13.00-17.00)
At the sorted waste collection sites of SIA "AAS "Piejūra"":
On 19.04.2024 and 20.04.2024 in TUKUMS, DIENVIDU IELA 1 (Opening hours: Friday – 8.00-18.00, Saturday – 8.00-14.00), TALSI MUNICIPALITY, "JANVĀRI" LANDFILL (Opening hours: Friday – 8.00-19.00, Saturday – 8.00-17.00).
On 24.04.2024 in KANDAVA, DAIGONES IELA 20 (Opening hours: Wednesday – 10.00-16.00)
From 02.05.2024 to 03.05.2024 at the sorted waste collection site of SIA "Kuldīgas komunālie pakalpojumi":
DĀRZNIECĪBAS IELA 9, KULDĪGA (Opening hours: Thursday – 8.00-12.00 and 13.00-17.00, Friday – 8.00-12.00 and 13.00-16.00.)
From 06.05.2024 to 02.06.2024 at the sorted waste collection sites of SIA "Ķilupe":
From 06.05.2024 to 12.05.2024 in OGRE, AKMEŅU IELA 43B (Opening hours: weekdays 10.00-19.00, weekends and public holidays 10.00–16.00.)
From 13.05.2024 to 19.05.2024 in SKRĪVERI, BIRZES IELA 2A (Opening hours: Tue., Wed. 10.00-18.00; Thu. 12.00-20.00; Fri., Sat. 10.00-18.00. Mon., Sun. and public holidays – closed.)
From 20.05.2024 to 26.05.2024 in KOKNESE, PAUGU IELA 1D (Opening hours: Tue. 10.00-18.00; Thu. 11.00-19.00; Fri., Sat. 10.00-18.00. Mon., Wed., Sun. and public holidays – closed)
From 27.05.2024 to 02.06.2024 in LIELVĀRDE, DRAVNIEKU IELA 9C (Opening hours: Tue., Wed. 10.00-14.00; Thu. 14.00-19.00; Fri., Sat. 10.00-15.00.; Mon., Sun. and public holidays – closed)
From 27.05.2024 to 02.06.2024 in MADLIENA, "ŠĶIROTAVA" (Opening hours: Tue., Wed. 10.00-14.00; Thu. 14.00-19.00; Fri., Sat. 10.00-15.00.; Mon., Sun. and public holidays – closed)
During the campaign period, one set of tyres (four passenger car tyres without rims) may be handed in per car. On entering the sorted waste collection site, the car's registration number is recorded. At other times, passenger car tyres can be handed in at sorted waste collection sites and elsewhere for a fee. These sites also accept used lead and other types of batteries, all types of cells, oil filters and lubricating oils. A list of the sites is available here: https://bit.ly/skirosanas-laukumi
The aim of the environmental campaign "Give tyres a second life" is to inform the public about the environmental harm caused by worn tyres and about the options for handing them in for recycling and reuse. Each year this initiative collects several hundred tonnes of worn car tyres, which are then managed responsibly.
About AS "AJ Power Recycling":
AS "AJ Power Recycling" operates within the management systems for used packaging, environmentally harmful goods and electrical and electronic equipment, which are supervised by the State Environmental Service (VVD). AS "AJ Power Recycling" provides companies with a 100% exemption from natural resources tax. AS "AJ Power Recycling" is part of the "AJ Power" group of companies. "AJ Power" has been operating since 2014, and its turnover in 2022 was 90 million euros.