What municipalities should know about tire collection
Do you work in a municipality and need to organize the collection of used tires?
Good news: you don’t need a municipal yard to make it work!
Maybe you’ve considered setting up your own collection point at the municipal yard. Be careful – it may seem simple at first, but it usually brings a lot of administrative, financial and operational burden.
And most importantly: in most cases, it’s not even necessary. There is a much simpler and more cost-effective solution:
Used tires belong in the service centers
In the Czech Republic, we operate an extensive network of collection points located directly at car service centers and tire shops – exactly where tires naturally become waste during replacement. Citizens can drop off their tires when changing them – or even without using any of the service’s paid services.
Take-back is completely free
At all collection points participating in the Eltma collective system, used tires can be handed over without any fees. You don’t pay anything at the time of drop-off or later.
There are no hidden fees or additional charges for environmentally friendly processing.
What does not belong in the take-back system?
Tyres from illegal dumps, large stockpiles, or individual parts (e.g., inner tubes only).
What belongs in the take-back system?
At the collection point, you can hand in regularly worn tyres from vehicles without rims that are complete and come from regular users.
Citizens unaware of it? We’ll help – for free!
We provide municipalities with complete information support at no cost – we will send printed leaflets upon request and provide digital materials and ready-to-use content for your municipal website or notice board.
This way, citizens will learn how easily they can hand over tires without burdening the municipal collection yard or its staff. Electronic versions of all information materials, clearly guiding citizens to collection points, can be downloaded here.
Benefits for your municipality
- No need to establish your own collection point
- Save budget and staff capacity
- No responsibility for handling the tires
- Citizens get a simple and accessible way to dispose of tires ecologically
Comparison: where to collect tires
Convenience for citizens
No costs for the municipality
Municipality bears no responsibility for collection
Yard staff do not have to handle tires
No need to reserve space for piles of used tires
Citizens have access to a wide national network of collection sites
Contact Eltma – we’ll be happy to support and connect with you. Reach us at info@eltma.cz or by phone at +420 228 810 195.
With Eltma, you can do it even without a municipal collection yard.
Do we need to operate our own collection point if we want citizens to be able to return tires?
No! Municipalities are not obligated to run their own collection sites. Eltma has an existing network of collection points in tire and car service centers across the Czech Republic, where residents can drop off tires free of charge. This approach saves the municipality money, space, and staffing effort.
What exactly qualifies for the take-back system?
The system covers regularly worn, complete tires from personal vehicles, returned by everyday users. It does not apply to tires from illegal dumps, old stockpiles, or partial components (e.g., just inner tubes).
Where can I find the nearest collection point?
The full list of current locations is available on Eltma’s website. Or feel free to contact us – we’ll be happy to provide the information via our hotline.
What if there’s no collection point near our municipality? Can the municipality step in?
Yes. If there’s no standard collection site (such as a tire or car service center) within 10 km of your area, we can arrange the establishment of a municipal collection point. Each request is assessed individually – contact us and we’ll find the most suitable solution together.
How can we inform citizens about where to return tires?
Eltma will provide you with free educational materials (flyers) in printed or digital form. You can, for example:
- publish them on the municipal website,
- display them on the official notice board,
- post them at the collection yard,
- hand them out to citizens at the town hall or during waste collection events.
How much will it cost us?
Nothing! Joining the take-back system via the tire service network is completely free for municipalities. By directing citizens to the Eltma network, municipalities save resources and budget.
What if citizens still bring tires to the municipal collection yard?
In that case, we recommend redirecting them to the nearest authorized collection point and posting educational materials to explain where tires should go – and why the municipal yard is not the right place.
Who takes care of tire pickup and what happens to them afterward?
Our contracted partners handle all transport and further processing.
The tires are recycled into materials used for products such as noise-barrier walls or shock-absorbing pads, replacing primary materials from fossil sources and contributing to the circular economy and the protection of natural resources.
Do municipalities get paid for operating a collection point?
No. Even if a municipality starts collecting tires at its own yard, Eltma does not reimburse the related costs. Expenses for yard adjustment, staff, equipment or tire handling are borne by the municipality. Eltma then ensures the collection and recycling of the tires.
+420
228 810 195
info@eltma.cz