Where to Take Old Tires in Ontario: Check Rims, Drop-Off Rules and Fees

The old tires are taking up space in the garage, but “take them to a tire shop” leaves several unanswered questions. Which shop accepts them? Do the rims stay on? Is there a charge? Check those details before loading the vehicle.

Start with your provincial collection program and confirm the receiving location’s instructions. This guide focuses on Ontario, with a British Columbia example showing why one province’s rules should not be assumed everywhere. It is for household drop-offs, not arranging commercial stockpile removal.

1. Identify exactly what you are dropping off

Count the tires and note whether they are mounted on rims. Record their type and size, especially if they are from a trailer, ATV or larger vehicle rather than an ordinary passenger car. Decide whether you intend to keep the wheels or surrender the complete assemblies.

Ontario Recycles lists tires weighing 1 kg or more, including automobile, motorcycle, ATV and trailer tires among the types in its program. That does not mean every location can receive every type or quantity immediately. Tell the collector what you have when you call.

If the tires are still mounted and you want to keep the rims or sensors, arrange the necessary professional work explicitly. “Recycle my tires” should not be left open to interpretation when valuable wheels are attached. Do not cut tires off rims yourself to meet a drop-off instruction.

2. Find a participating Ontario location

Use the Ontario Recycles Where to Recycle map, enter your location and choose the tire filter. The map identifies free collection options. It also warns that municipal depots may accept materials only from their residents and may require identification.

Ontario Recycles says retail collection locations must accept up to 10 used tires per person per day, including tires on rims, when they are similar to the new tires sold or supplied there. Municipal depots must accept up to 10 passenger-vehicle and light-truck tires per person per day, including those on rims; residency restrictions may apply. Check the address, collection hours and tire type before travelling. Keeping your wheels is a separate service question—free collection of an assembly does not mean free removal and return of its rim or sensor.

• Are these tires accepted, and how many can I bring at this visit?
• If I want to keep my rims or sensors, is professional tire removal available, and what does that separate service cost?
• Do I need an appointment, proof of residence or another document?
• Where should I check in, and what are the actual collection hours?
• Is there any separately charged service beyond the tire collection itself?

3. Do not import another province’s rim rules

Tire Stewardship BC’s Return to Retailer guidance describes taking up to 4 clean tires off the rims to participating locations and recommends calling ahead to confirm space. It says rims are outside its program, and a fee applies if a location accepts tires on rims.

That is a British Columbia program example, not an Ontario four-tire limit or a national rule requiring rim removal. Use the program where you are actually dropping off the tires. For a different province, start with its official stewardship program or municipal waste authority instead of an old social-media answer.

4. Separate the new-tire fee from the drop-off

You may remember paying a recycling or environmental fee when buying new tires. Ontario’s Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority explains that these environmental fees are set at a business’s discretion. RPRA does not set or require them, and they are not a government tax. Businesses may include recycling costs in the product price instead.

For an Ontario invoice, ask the retailer what a separate fee covers rather than assuming every store must charge an identical amount. A charge for a separate service, such as removing a tire from a wheel, is also a different question from access to a free tire collection location. Have the scope and price explained before authorizing work.

5. Complete the handover, not just the drive

Keep any wheels you are retaining clearly identified and confirm the instruction with staff. Load and secure the tires according to the vehicle’s cargo instructions; use help if you cannot lift them safely. Do not leave loose assemblies where they can move into passengers or interfere with driving.

Check in during the agreed hours and follow the site’s unloading directions. Do not leave tires outside a closed gate or behind a shop without permission. If the location cannot receive them, ask for a current alternative and confirm it before making another trip.

The result should be simple: the correct tires accepted by a participating collector, any retained wheels returned to you, and no surprise service charge caused by an unclear handover.

Program information checked November 1, 2026. Confirm current local acceptance, rim handling, quantity limits and separately charged services before travelling.