Drive Creates New Life for Old Tires

The Comanche Nation Environmental Program began its annual Tire Drive on Tuesday, February 7, in Cache, Oklahoma.

Comanche Nation Environmental Program Solid Waste Coordinator Michael Craig said the tires are recycled in surrounding areas to make all kinds of things, including playground equipment.

“Because at any point in time, we had it in our office, we had about 1,000 plus tires because people in surrounding areas will bring them to us free of charge and it’s not just for us Comanche members, it’s for the people in general, so you don’t have to be a cardholder member for us to come out and deliver your tires,” he said.

Craig said the donations prevent pollution from impacting sensitive areas and keep the mosquito population down during the summer.

“It does keep them out of the rural, creek, ditches and homes,” he said.

Craig said the bigger tires can be re-shredded for recycling purposes.

“But a lot of people use them for erosion purposes,” he said. “If you get enough of them, you can put them against the bank and cover them up and that’ll keep the erosion down. A lot of places, they just throw them out there because they got nowhere to get rid of them.”

However, the environmental program is not able to take large tractor tires.

“Right now, we’re just taking up to 24 inches, we usually take the bigger tires,” Craig said. “We can’t get rid of them right now and we’re sitting at about 1,000 semi tires alone and we have bigger tractor tires that we can’t get rid of.”

He said he’s glad to help out communities.

“It makes me feel good knowing that I can have not just our Comanche people, but our communities because I see on Facebook or I hear by word of mouth there’s a lot of illegal dumpsites out there ‘Why can’t I get rid of this garbage? I can’t get rid of this, I can’t get rid of this,’” Craig said. “But if we’re able to provide some type of service, not just for our tribal members, but for the community that makes me feel good knowing I can at least try to help people.”

The Cache event ran from the 7 through the 9 from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. They will be at the Community Buildings in Walters from the 14 through the 16 and at Apache from February 21 through 23. They will continue at the Office of Environmental Programs from February 28 through March 2. All tire drives begin at 9 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.