Dive Brief:
- More than 30 California jurisdictions have collectively been awarded $5.7 million in CalRecycle grants to manage the illegal dumping and stockpiling of old tires. Los Angeles and Riverside Counties received the largest awards — $600,000 each — with Sacramento County next in line at $343,853, according to Recycling Today.
- The grants help cover costs related to inspection of tire storage facilities, law enforcement to curb illegal dumping, surveillance technology, and employee training.
- Applicants were considered based on prevalence of illegal dump sites, number of inspections in previous grant cycles, and enforcement and surveillance efforts during previous grant cycles.
Dive Insight:
Illegally dumped tires have jacked up disposal costs across the country by burdening landfills and drumming up administrative and legal expenses, including questionable hauling charges and inadequate monitoring.
The problem stems largely from insufficient management alternatives, which is where the grants come in.
The purpose of the grants is to give cities and counties more resources to meet waste tire enforcement CalRecycle Director Scott Smithline told Recycling Today. Another concern Smithline said is for the health hazards and blight caused by illegal dumping and storage.
A recent CalRecycle grant cycle not only helped address the common problems, but leveraged the rubber waste to help solve another one: restoring bad roads.
