Introduced on Dec. 4 by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, PalmettoPride and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, the “See It, Report It” campaign encourages residents to quickly and anonymously report tire dumps three ways: calling the Litter Buster Hotline at 1-877-7 LITTER, using the free “Litter Buster” phone app, or using the “Report a Litterbug” option at www.palmettopride.org. The information reported is held in strict confidence.
“Illegally dumped tires create human and environmental risks in our communities,” said Juli Blalock, director of DHEC’s Division of Mining and Solid Waste Management. “These tires collect rainwater and provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes that can transmit illness, and they’re also a fire hazard. Tire fires are difficult to extinguish, and they can release toxic air pollutants and oil that can contaminate ground and surface water.”
Tires are banned from landfill disposal in South Carolina and are properly managed or recycled using funding from the $2 fee charged on each new tire purchased in the state, known as the Waste Tire Grant Fund. Most waste tires are properly disposed of by permitted facilities and are frequently used as a substitute for gravel or other aggregates in septic tank drain fields or other drainage applications. Tires also can be recycled into rubberized playground surfaces, landscaping mulch, truck bed mats and other products.
Despite the resources available for proper tire disposal, illegal dump sites occur around the state.