By Marcy Stamper
People came with pick-up trucks and even horse trailers brimming with old tires. By the end of the day on Saturday (Nov. 2), the huge pile at Methow Recycles contained one tire for every two people in the Methow Valley.
The 2,500 to 3,000 tires brought to Methow Recycles were just a fraction of the 25,000 unearthed from garages, sheds and fields around the county, according to Ella Robbins, administrative coordinator for Okanogan County Public Health, who coordinated the free recycling and disposal drive at five locations around the county.
Still, Methow Recycles had the most efficient tire collection in the county, bringing in almost 3,000 bald and aging tires in one day. Doug Devin helped round up an additional 500 tires in the Mazama area alone, according to Robbins. In Okanogan, they collected 4,000 tires over five days, and another 3,000 in four days in Ellisforde.
The health department is arranging site pick-ups for people who have 100 or more tires. They will be picking up tires at more than 20 locations around the county. “Some people just inherit them,” said Robbins. Call (509) 422-7140 for more information.
Robbins praised football teams from around the county for helping unload the dirty, heavy tires. By midday on Saturday, Methow Recycles Executive Director Betsy Cushman said the Liberty Bell High School team had already filled two trailers that held 600 tires each.
Volunteers are needed to load the remaining tires at Methow Recycles. Call 996-2696 for information.
