Dr. Karen Bell

Keep Liberty Beautiful

If you own a car or truck, you already understand how important your tires are. Without them, your vehicle simply cannot move. Tires carry us to work, school, church, and everywhere in between. But what happens when those dependable tires wear out?

Every tire eventually reaches the end of its life. The good news is that many can be recycled or reconditioned. In fact, approximately 83% of scrap tires are recycled each year. The bad news is that thousands still end up in local landfills, or worse, are illegally dumped in creeks, wooded areas, and open fields, creating serious environmental and health hazards.

Old tires don’t just disappear. When they are dumped improperly, they collect water, attract pests, and create long-term environmental damage.

Proper disposal protects both our community and our natural resources.

To help address this issue, Keep Liberty Beautiful (KLB), with support from a Scrap Tire Abatement Reimbursement Grant from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, will host a Tire Amnesty Day on Saturday, February 21.

This grant allows us to offer residents a safe, responsible way to dispose of unwanted tires at no cost. We don’t always have funding for free tire events, so we encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity.

The event will be held at the Liberty County Community Complex, 9397 East Oglethorpe Hwy in Midway, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Event Guidelines:

• Tires generated from commercial ventures will not be accepted.

• Only passenger vehicle tires off the rims, from cars, SUVs, and light trucks, will be accepted.

• Semi-truck tires, oversized tires, and racing slicks will not be accepted.

• There is no fee for tires turned in during the event hours.

Improperly discarded tires pose serious risks. They collect rainwater, becoming prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes. They also create habitats for unwanted wildlife.

As much as I love Liberty County’s natural beauty, I am not a fan of snakes or mosquitoes. Turning in your old tires helps reduce both.

Even tires that cannot be retreaded have value. Scrap tires can be recycled into materials used in road asphalt, playground mulch, athletic surfaces, and other useful products. Recycling tires keeps them out of landfills and turns a waste product into a valuable resource.

“Recycling tires is a small action that produces big results,” said Willa Lewis, the chairman for Keep Liberty Beautiful. “It keeps our roads cleaner, reduces illegal dumping, and supports a more sustainable future for Liberty County.”

Residents are reminded that this event is strictly for household tires. Commercially generated tires will not be accepted.

Tires will only be collected between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 21. Any tires left at the site before or after the event will be treated as illegal dumping. The collection location will be under surveillance by cameras.

Penalties for illegal dumping in Georgia are severe. Under the Georgia Comprehensive Litter Prevention and Abatement Act of 2006, illegal dumping is punishable as a felony, with fines of up to $25,000 and up to five years in prison.

It’s simply not worth the risk. We are providing a free, legal option. Let’s use it.

Liberty County residents are encouraged to start now by collecting any unwanted tires on their property and reminding neighbors to do the same. Community participation is essential to the success of Tire Amnesty Day. When our community works together, we make a visible difference. Every tire turned in is one less environmental hazard in Liberty County. For more information about Tire Amnesty Day, contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 8804888 or klcb@libertycountyga. gov. You can also visit www.keeplibertybeautiful. org for details about upcoming events.

Mark your calendar for the Greatest American Cleanup, a countywide effort beginning March 21, 2026, and continuing through June 30, 2026. Each city, Fort Stewart, and Liberty County will select cleanup dates. Keep Liberty Beautiful will provide all cleanup supplies, and participants will receive a beautiful KLB T-shirt.

You can sign up at: https://bit.ly/3ZiDPZP Let’s work together to keep Liberty County clean, safe, and beautiful, one tire at a time.