Quick Answer
Old tires cost $1 to $5 each to recycle in Jacksonville and they are banned from every dumpster, landfill, and curbside trash route in Florida. This guide lists the actual drop-off locations, retailer take-back programs, and what to do when you have more than a few tires to get rid of.
Old tires cost $1 to $5 each to recycle in Jacksonville. They are banned from every dumpster, every landfill, and every curbside trash pickup route in Florida under the Florida Solid Waste Management Act. That ban is why tires cannot go in a 904 Dumpster roll-off and why most tire shops in Jacksonville will accept your old tires when you buy replacement tires. When tires are tangled up with a larger pile of junk, our junk removal in Jacksonville crews can haul the rest while you route the tires to a recycler. This guide lists the actual drop-off locations and the rules that apply when you have more than a handful to get rid of.
Why Tires Are Banned From Landfills
Whole tires trap methane and air pockets in landfills, which causes them to migrate upward through compacted waste and damage the landfill cap. They also collect water and become mosquito-breeding habitat. Florida passed the disposal ban in 1988 and the rule has been in force ever since. Trail Ridge Landfill, where most Jacksonville construction debris goes, rejects loads that contain tires.
This is why every 904 Dumpster delivery includes a prohibited items list that names tires explicitly. If a load arrives at Trail Ridge with tires in it, the landfill charges an extraction fee plus the cost of trucking the tires to a recycler. That fee gets passed back to whoever rented the dumpster.
Free Tire Drop-Off in Jacksonville (Retailer Take-Back)
The fastest free option is the retailer take-back program. Every tire shop in Jacksonville is required by Florida law to accept used tires when you buy replacements, one used tire per new tire purchased. You pay a small disposal fee of $1 to $3 per tire, which is folded into your new-tire receipt. The shop sends the used tires to a Florida-licensed recycler.
This option only works if you are buying new tires. If you are just clearing old tires from a garage or estate cleanout, the retailer is not required to take them.
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Paid Tire Drop-Off Sites in Jacksonville
For tires you are clearing without buying replacements, the City of Jacksonville and Duval County operate paid drop-off sites:
For large volumes (10 tires or more), commercial recyclers are cheaper than the convenience centers because of the per-tire cap. Call ahead for a quote.
How Many Tires You Can Drop at Each Site
| Site | Daily Limit | Per-Tire Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Trail Ridge Landfill citizen drop-off | 8 tires per resident | $1.50 car, $3 truck, $5 semi |
| Solid Waste Convenience Centers | 4 tires per resident | $1 |
| Retailer take-back (with new tire purchase) | 1 used per 1 new | $1 to $3 (in receipt) |
| Commercial recycler (large volume) | Unlimited by appointment | Quoted, typically $0.50 to $1.50 |
If you exceed the daily limit at a convenience center, you will be turned away. Tow that volume to Trail Ridge directly or schedule with a commercial recycler.
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What to Do If You Inherit a Tire Pile
Property cleanouts and estate work in rural Northeast Florida (especially Hilliard, Middleburg, and parts of Clay County) frequently surface a backyard tire pile. The owner of the property at the time of disposal is responsible under Florida code, not the previous owner. This means if you bought a property with a tire pile, the cleanup falls to you.
For piles of 20 or more tires, the fastest path is hiring a tire recycler to do an on-site pickup. Quotes typically run $1 to $2 per tire all-inclusive (loading, transport, disposal documentation). For smaller piles, multiple trips to Trail Ridge are cheaper.
Do not bury the tires. Florida code prohibits tire burial on private property and inspectors do find buried tire piles during property sales.
Tires and Dumpster Rentals: What to Do Instead
Because tires cannot go in a 904 Dumpster roll-off, the workflow for a property cleanout that includes tires is:
For Jacksonville projects where the dumpster handles everything except tires, see our 10-yard dumpster rental, 15-yard dumpster rental, or 20-yard dumpster rental options. Same-day delivery is available throughout Duval, St. Johns, Clay, and Nassau counties.
What Happens to Recycled Tires
Florida recyclers shred and process used tires into crumb rubber, which becomes athletic surfaces, playground material, asphalt rubber for road paving, and industrial mats. About 80 percent of Florida's used tires are diverted to these reuse streams under the state's Used Tire Program. The remaining 20 percent are processed into fuel for cement kilns and industrial boilers.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Tires are prohibited from every 904 Dumpster roll-off and from Trail Ridge Landfill. Florida law bans tires from all landfills statewide. See our prohibited items list for the complete list of items that cannot go in a dumpster.
Free tire recycling is available through retailer take-back when you buy new tires. Florida law requires every tire shop to accept one used tire per new tire purchased. Outside of that, all tire recycling in Jacksonville has a fee, typically $1 to $5 per tire.
Car tires cost $1 to $1.50 each to recycle at Jacksonville drop-off sites. Truck tires cost about $3 each. Semi or large equipment tires cost $5 or more. Commercial recyclers offer volume discounts for piles of 20 or more tires, typically $0.50 to $1.50 per tire all-inclusive.
Yes. Trail Ridge Landfill operates a citizen drop-off area that accepts up to 8 tires per resident per visit at $1.50 per car tire and $3 per truck tire. The drop-off is at 5110 US Highway 301 North in Jacksonville.
Hire a commercial tire recycler for on-site pickup. Quotes typically run $1 to $2 per tire all-inclusive (loading, transport, disposal documentation). For piles of 10 to 20 tires, multiple trips to Trail Ridge are also viable. Do not bury the tires, which is a code violation in Florida.
No. Tire burning releases benzene, dioxins, and heavy metals into the air and is illegal in Florida outside of permitted industrial facilities. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection prosecutes residential tire burning as an air-quality violation.
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