Used tires dumped at the side of the road, in vacant lots, or along railroad tracks are unsightly and provide a breeding site for mosquitoes that could potentially carry the West Nile virus.
Improper maintenance can reduce tire life by 50 percent. You can extend the life of your tires by taking a few minutes each month to check the pressure and tread depth.
reduce
reuse
recycle
Reduce
Always check tire pressure when the tires are cold. Driving causes tires to heat up and warm tires will give an inaccurate reading. Check them first thing in the morning or after the car has been standing for a few hours. Don’t forget to check the spare, too, especially before any long trips. Use the manufacturer’s recommended pressure, not the maximum pressure on the side of the tire. Refer to your owner’s manual.
Watch for tears or bulges in the tire tread or sidewall. If you find any of these, have the tire checked immediately and replaced if necessary.
Check tread wear with an inexpensive tread-depth indicator, or a penny. Simply stick a penny in the most worn groove or insert the tread-depth indicator. If you can see the top of Abraham Lincoln’s head or there’s less than 1/16 inch of tread, it’s time to invest in new tires.
Rotate tires according to the manufacturer’s recommendations to ensure that the tires wear at a uniform rate. Check tire balance and alignment to reduce excess wear.
Reuse
Buy retreaded tires. Retreading bonds new tread to the existing tire body using a process very similar to the manufacture of a new tire. You don’t have to pay to dispose of the old tire, and the retread is 30 to 50 percent cheaper than a new tire. Two studies conducted by the American Retreaders Association (ARA) concluded that residual body strength in worn tires is at least equal to that of new tires, in some cases doubling the standards requirement of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standard test, which applies to all new tires. Retread tires are also regulated by the standards set by the NHTSA.
Recycle
When buying new tires, bring back your old ones to be recycled. Businesses that sell or install tires must take back tires of approximately the same size that they sell. People can recycle up to the same amount of tires that they buy new. The fee for the collection of old tires is included in the cost of new tires. If a NYC service station or retailer refuses your used tires, contact the Region 2 Office of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation 
at (718) 482-4885.
If you have old tires to get rid of, NYC residents can drop off up to four passenger car tires at special waste sites during certain times or any NYC Department of Sanitation garage between 8 am and 4 pm, Monday through Saturday, except holidays. Check the Sanitation website for the location of the nearest garage . Tires are collected by a contractor and taken to a facility where they are converted to electricity.
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