The Berrien County Spring Tire Recycling Collection is Thursday, May 6 and Friday, May 7 at the Road Commission on the corner of Napier and Yore Ave. in Benton Township.

Berrien County residents can drop off tires from 3 to 7 p.m. on Thursday and from 7:30 to 11 a.m. on Friday. Enter the Road Commission at the southern most gate on Yore Avenue. The Road Commission is easily accessible from Interstate 94 (at Exit 30, go East on Napier) and from Highway 31 (at Exit 24, go west on Napier).

Why you should  recycle your tires on May 6 and 7:

• Simple: there will be people to unload tires from your vehicle.

• Low cost: recycle fees are $1/tire, $2 if still on rim; $5 for semi-truck tires, $10 for oversize and loader tires. The fees will partially offset collection, transportation and processing costs, with the remainder paid for by the County Landfill Use Fund. Payment can be made by cash or check (to County of Berrien). Even when getting tires changed at a tire dealer, customers are usually charged with a recycling fee.

• Environmentally friendly choice: recycling tires keeps them from littering our ditches and natural areas.

• Legal choice: whole scrap tires are prohibited from disposal in Michigan landfills.

• Nuisance Reduction: scrap tire piles become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and rodents.

• Safety: scrap tire piles are a safety hazard. If they catch on fire, they are difficult to extinguish, produce thick, black smoke and can contaminate soil.

• Product creation: tires can be recycled and reused in many ways. They can be used as fuel; in engineering projects; converted into ground rubber for recreational areas or rubberized asphalt; made into a rubber mulch for gardens; retread and sold for reuse; and recycled into cut, stamped or punched products. Tires collected at the county sponsored collections will be recycled by Deerpath Recyclers in Dowagiac.

• Clear out clutter: recycle tires that you have sitting around and gain the storage space back in your garage or shed.

• Do the right thing: The U.S. generated 290 million scrap tires in 2003, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Make sure your tires do not get wasted.

• Get a recycling guide: participants will receive a copy of the Berrien County Recycling Guide for more tips on how to recycle and dispose of materials properly.

Residents can find out more about tire recycling by calling Jill at 983-7111
ext. 8234, e-mail jadams@berriencounty.org or go to www.berriencounty.org/recycle, and click on “Tires.”