Contractor’s Report
to CalRecycle
26
Figure 3
Annual Waste Tire Disposal in California, 2010-2012 (Million PTEs)
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2010
2011
2012
Figure 4 shows the trend in monthly disposal at the four landfills that accepted the most tires
during the past two years. Together, these landfills accepted more than 90 percent of the tires
documented to be disposed in 2012 in California. The chart indicates that as export markets hit
their peak in summer 2012, disposal dropped to just below 100,000 passenger tire equivalents per
month, and as export demand declined in late 2012, disposal began to increase. However, because
disposal is subject to abrupt increases or decreases, it is difficult to gauge how the trend will play
out for the duration of 2013. Although export growth appears to have stalled in late 2012,
exported volumes remain high. This combined with stable or growing demand in other market
segments means that disposal may remain more-or-less flat in 2013. Some processors say there
will always be some measurable tire disposal, short of a regulatory ban. This is due to situations
in which there is no economical alternative and not likely to be one, such as with Off-The-Road
(OTR) tires and/or small quantities in remote areas.
