For most people, living in a city that receives its fair share of snow in the winter means swapping between two sets of tires. The last thing most of us have room for is yet another set of tires.

Unfortunately, as with most large items, it’s unclear on how to best dispose of tires that are no longer useful for driving. It’s possible to upcycle old tires to reduce the amount of waste that goes into our landfills, and we list some of these creative ideas below.

Tires for Toys

If you have children, one inexpensive way to help your kids spend more time outdoors is by building a tire swing. The amount of work that needs to go into building the swing will depend on your handiness, but it should take less than a few hours to complete it.

The most important part of the swing will be finding a place for it to hang from, such a sturdy branch of a tall tree or some other suspended bar. The best part about a tire swing is that it costs less than a class that teaches an athletic skill for children, and your kids will be able to get some exercise from it.

Turning Toward Nature

Another popular use for old tires is in the garden as a type of planter. Tires can be affixed to walls in place of plastic, metal, or wooden planters, and it takes up enough space on its own to serve as decoration.

You may also consider laying the tires down flat on the ground to hold plain looking pots. The rubber on the tires can be painted any colour, and many gardens, including community gardens, choose to paint them bright colours to emphasize that the tires have been deliberately repurposed.

Other Uses for Old Tires

There are many products that are made of rubber, so why not reuse the rubber from tires in the same way? It’s possible to remove the tread, cut the tires, and fashion them into containers and baskets to help organize household clutter. Of course, the proper tools and skills are necessary in order to finish the project in a safe and timely manner.

A good alternative exists for repurposing tires, and it is the proper disposal of tires. Dumping is illegal and bad for the environment, but at Junk It!, we’ll take care to put that old tire where it belongs!