City of Omaha offers free tire recycling to combat illegal dumping

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) — Douglas County residents can drop off up to 16 tires for free on June 6 at a city facility in South Omaha.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the city facility at 22nd and Washington.

Illegally dumped tires have appeared across Omaha parks, alleys and private property. In January 2024, dozens of tires were illegally dumped outside a closed auto shop on the north side of Omaha. The owner, recovering from a brain injury, was left to deal with the mess.

People dump tires because disposing of them legally costs money. When illegal dumping happens in Omaha, the city pays to track them down, haul them out and recycle them.

Abandoned tires collect water, breed mosquitoes and can become a fire hazard.

“The potential danger from a fire that might break out in that area… tires are a very large fuel source that’s not the type of fire a fire department wants to try to battle,” said Jim Kee, quality control manager for the City of Omaha.

The city is offering free disposal to make it easier for residents to do the right thing.

Tires dropped off at the event will be shredded and recycled into playground surfaces and athletic tracks.

“Giving people the opportunity to do something responsible as opposed to illegal is always a good thing… I think giving people that choice, often people would choose to do the good thing rather than the bad thing,” Kee said.

The city said it is cheaper to collect tires this way than to clean them up after illegal dumping. The program also keeps parks and neighborhoods cleaner.

“A lot of people if they have to make a choice… they really want them out of their garage; they really want them out of their backyard… This gives people that opportunity to safely dispose of something that is a kind of an awkward item to get rid of,” Kee said.

Tires must be off the rim, and residents must unload them. Commercial tires are not accepted.

The June 6 event is the first of three free tire disposal events the city has planned this year. Two more events are scheduled for August and November.

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