ASSINIBOIA - What we do with our scrap tires is important to the environment and to all of us. Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan (TSS) in partnership with the provincial Ministry of Environment and the town of Assiniboia completed an ambitious project to deal with a large, abandoned “legacy” scrap tire pile.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with how the provincial government, TSS and the Town of Assiniboia worked together to complete this project. Not only were the scrap tires an eyesore, but it was a real risk to our community,” said Mayor Sharon Schauenberg.
The abandoned used tires posed a health risk to the community and a risk to the environment. Before they are recycled, scrap tires can hold water and create an environment for pests such as rats and mosquitoes. A pile of tires, if they catch fire, can burn intensely given the material and the availability of oxygen to fuel the fire, and produce toxic smoke.
Saskatchewan tire retailers are mandated by legislation to set up and operate a recycling program, collect recycling fees from the consumer for each new tire sold, and use these fees to operate the program.
Tire retailers set up Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan to manage the collection, recycling, and processing of scrap tires into more environmentally friendly products and with a goal to work towards a scrap tire-free Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, the province is littered with many “legacy” tires from years past that remain to be collected.
“Properly disposing of scrap tires is critical to a safe and healthy environment,” Environment Minister Warren Kaeding said. “The cleanup of the former Assiniboia Rubber Recycling site was a priority for our government and its completion is a significant milestone. I want to thank Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan and the Town of Assiniboia for their hard work on this important project.”
“This was the largest ‘legacy tire pile’ in the province and we appreciate the Ministry of Environment for their funding support for this clean up,” said Stevyn Arnt, Executive Director.
TSS operates under a “Product Stewardship Program” (PSP) approved every three years by the Ministry.
The recently approved PSP directs TSS to be proactive to address legacy tire clean up, pursue better end uses of recycled tires, and encourage the development of the industry. “Also, we want to improve how we manage the program to lower our GHG emissions,” said Arnt.
