All Kentucky residents can drop off old tires at no cost during a three-day collection event running Thursday, Aug. 13 through Saturday, Aug. 15 at the KYTC Facility Lot on Madison Pike in Covington.

Kenton County Solid Waste Coordinator Melissa Grandstaff's office announced the event as a partnership between Kenton County Public Works and the Kentucky Division of Waste Management. The drop-off accepts car, truck, farm implement, tractor, and bicycle tires, on or off the rim. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13 and Friday, Aug. 14, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 15. The address is 3923 Madison Pike, Covington, KY 41017.

No appointment is needed for most loads. Residents with more than 100 tires must call ahead.

The state program rotates on a roughly three-year cycle per county, according to the Division of Waste Management. That means Kenton County's next free collection wouldn't come around again until approximately 2029.

What's not accepted

Foam-filled or calcium-filled tires, off-the-road construction tires, rubber tracks, tires with a bead greater than 1¾ inches, and tires from retailers, scrap yards, or recycling businesses are all excluded. The event is for residential drop-offs only.

Where the tires go

Collected tires don't end up in a landfill. The state's Waste Tire Collection Program, established in 1998 and funded by a $2 fee on every new replacement tire sold in Kentucky, delivers recovered tires to recycling markets that turn them into tire-derived fuel or crumb rubber. The program has handled more than 19 million waste tires statewide to date.

Why it matters locally

Old tires stacked in yards or sheds trap standing water, creating mosquito breeding habitat, and pose a fire risk, according to the state Division of Waste Management. The Madison Pike location sits within a short drive of Fort Mitchell, Villa Hills, Crescent Springs, Fort Wright, Edgewood, Lakeside Park, and Crestview Hills.

For questions, contact Grandstaff at 859-392-1919 or [email protected].