Navajo County offers tire recycling at Show Low and Holbrook sites; rims not accepted, large tires carry $30 fee

Donna Faye Whitesinger, Navajo County supervisor for District 5, and Madhur Mule, public support director for Navajo County, discussed the county’s tire recycling program on Navajo County Connection.

“We have 2 locations for drop off. 1 is here in Show Low, and other location is in Holbrook,” Madhur Mule said. He told residents they should check the county’s Public Works webpage for hours and that no appointment is required: “They need to come at the front desk, and someone will [assist] them and bring them over here if they're here in Show Low.”

The program accepts most tires but does not accept rims. “If your rim tire has a rim size of 25 and less, then we accept here for free,” Mule said. “Any rim size 26 and above, there is a fee of $30 which is set by not by Navajo County but by ADQ.” Mule asked residents to avoid arriving between 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. because staff take lunch during that time, and he noted that hours differ between the Show Low and Holbrook locations.

Mule described the county’s handling and reuse of collected tires: “We have a contract with Crumb Rubber Manufacturers of America, and they take our tires and they recycle them for us. The most common use that everyone knows is, these tires get used in rubberized asphalt pavement. That's also called quiet pavement.” He added recycled tires can also be used in artificial turf applications.

Mule provided collection statistics: “We collect over 50,000 tires on an average every year. Last year, we collected a little over 54,000, and we collect from all over the county. So, incorporated areas, unincorporated areas, even tribal government areas, they can bring tire here and we will collect the tires for them.” He also referenced the current on-site pile: roughly 9,000 tires are at the facility awaiting processing.

Whitesinger thanked Public Works for the program and encouraged residents to use the service: “If you have those tires, make sure you take the time to bring them here, and we'll be happy to take them and recycle them for you.”

For hours, acceptable tire sizes, and other rules, Mule directed residents to the Navajo County Public Works webpage, where a flyer and contact information are posted. The county’s staff will assist drop-offs during operating hours.