Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) announced that it is increasing enforcement and awareness about the large-scale illegal dumping of used tires 鈥� which has grown 82% since 2022. Unlawfully dumped tires harm the environment and threaten public health.
Across Seattle, hundreds of used tires are being abandoned in greenbelts, public rights-of-way, and other community spaces. This year alone, SPU has removed more than 1,400 illegally dumped tires from Seattle鈥檚 greenbelts. The City of Seattle spent $2.9 million from the General Fund in 2024 on removal and cleanup of illegally dumped items, which includes tires.
鈥淭his ongoing issue is costing the City of Seattle to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars unnecessarily. Illegally dumped tires are harming our green spaces, polluting waterways, and threatening local wildlife,鈥� said Lee Momon, Director of Seattle Clean City which is part of SPU.
鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to working with the community to share resources and raise awareness about how to properly dispose of used tires. We encourage both residents and commercial haulers to follow Washington state law to ensure safe, legal disposal, and help keep Seattle neighborhoods clean and healthy.鈥�
Illegally dumped tires can contaminate soil and water with toxic chemicals (such as 6PPD-q, a byproduct of tire wear that can kill some fish), attract rodents and vermin, pose serious fire threats, and create stagnant water which can become a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes.
鈥淓cology has funded the cleanup of over 77,000 tons of illegally discarded tires throughout the state since 2007, but more work still needs to be done,鈥� said Steven Williams, Solid Waste Section Manager for the state Department of Ecology鈥檚 Northwest Region.听听鈥淎lthough they might seem like harmless everyday objects, waste tires pose a real risk to human health and the environment, and we ask everyone to do their part to dispose of them legally.鈥澨�听
SPU Enforcement and Outreach
As part of this increased enforcement and educational outreach, SPU will:
- Regularly post photos, when available, on SPU鈥檚 blog that show vehicles used in the act of illegally dumping tires.
- Use data and locations about dumped tires in Seattle to track trends and conduct business and community outreach.
- Visit commercial tire shops to raise awareness and share photos of vehicles used in the unlawful act.
- Use information collected and leads to follow up with the Seattle Police Department.
How Residents and Businesses Can Help
Residents can ask a tire shop to take old tires after buying new ones, drop off up to 4 tires per visit for $15 at SPU鈥檚 North or South transfer stations, or find proper disposal locations by calling 1-800-RECYCLE or visiting 1800recycle.wa.gov.
Commercial customers can take large amounts of tires to a facility that accepts commercial tire loads and work with a licensed waste tire carrier.鈥齀n Washington state, businesses which haul used tires must be licensed. Commercial customers should make sure hauling contractors are registered with the Washington state Department of Ecology.