HWMA SEEKS TIRE RECYCLING GRANT

We commonly recycle paper, plastic, and aluminum, but locally there’s been a big push for more rubber recycling. With a $100,000 grant, the Humboldt Waste Management Authority is looking to clean up and get rid of unwanted pests.
After a one-year hiatus, The Waste Tire Grant could be coming back to the county. Every year the HWMA takes in about 25,000 old, used and potentially hazardous tires. Proper tire disposal helps the environment, but it’s what’s taking up residency inside those rubbery walls that’s of particular concern. "A tire is the best mosquito hatcheries you've ever seen. It's black, it holds heat, and it absorbs water,” Says HWMA Supervisor, Brent Whitener. They’re asking for $100,000 for a two-year period. The grant money comes from new tire purchasing fees that drivers pay. Whitener says, "We ship them to a place where tires go to die; Where they're ground up into tire-derived aggregate. And it's used for several engineering purposes ranging from school playgrounds, to asphalt additives.”The announcement is expected in April. If the humboldt County Waste Management Authority is selected, funds would come sometime in the summer.