Salinas Valley Recycles to hold free tire amnesty events through June; household hazardous-waste sites detailed

Mandy Brooks, assistant general manager and resource-recovery manager for Salinas Valley Recycles, outlined the agency's annual tire-amnesty schedule and household hazardous-waste services during Monterey County's March 25 briefing.

Brooks said Salinas Valley Recycles has hosted free tire-amnesty events for roughly 27 years in partnership with CalRecycle grant funding and typically runs about two events per year. The current tire amnesty begins Saturday and will run through June 30 at three locations: the Madison Lane recycling facility in Salinas (which houses the household hazardous-waste facility), Johnson Canyon Landfill in Gonzales, and the Holland Road transfer station in King City.

The events are open only to residential customers in the Salinas Valley; businesses and large commercial or tractor tires are not accepted. Brooks said households may bring up to nine car or small-truck tires per trip; anyone transporting more than nine tires is considered a waste-tire hauler and must hold the appropriate federal/state permit. "We will accept car and small truck tires with or without the rims...this is only open to Salinas Valley residents," Brooks said.

Brooks also reviewed household hazardous-waste services at the Salinas facility and two ABOP (antifreeze, batteries, oil, paint) drop-off locations at Johnson Canyon Landfill and the Holland Road transfer station. She listed accepted bulky items at the facilities (appliances, mattresses, electronics, scrap metal) and reminded residents that local haulers typically provide curbside pickup for bulky items if scheduled in advance.

Brooks emphasized the agency's outreach efforts to reduce illegal dumping and encouraged residents to use the free events and to contact Salinas Valley Recycles or their hauler with questions. For event details the briefing directed residents to salinasvalleyrecycles.org and the agency's social channels.