Mantua will host its second amnesty week beginning Monday, March 18, to help residents dispose of old tires.
The township will transport car or pickup truck tires to the Gloucester County Solid Waste Complex in South Harrison Township for disposal. The amnesty event is run by the county public works department.
“Last year was our first time doing tire amnesty week,” said department Superintendent Glenn DeMers. “We thought it would be a good idea to do. The township committee liked it, and when we did it, it went really well. We do it in conjunction with the county’s tire amnesty month.”
A maximum of four tires will be accepted from each Mantua residence. Unacceptable are tires with rims or those from semi-trucks or tractors.
The event marks the only time of year that Mantua provides the disposal service. Those who miss it will have to take tires to the landfill at 493 Monroeville Road in South Harrison.
“Each day, there is a certain route we take (to) pick them up,” explained DeMers. “We’re only doing it one time, so if they (residents) miss it, they miss it.”
Tires end up at a landfill because the public works department cannot store them, as noted in regulations from both the Department of Environmental Protection and the township’s stormwater management.
The county initiative began several years ago and enables its towns to drop off tires at the landfill from Friday, March 1, to Friday, March 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. A special Saturday dropoff will take place on March 16 at the same location and time.
The county has its own rules to follow on tire disposal should Mantua residents miss amnesty week.
“Participation is limited to Gloucester County residents only,” says the county’s guidelines. “Commercial businesses are not permitted. No tires larger than passenger pickup truck size will be accepted. Tires may be on or off the rim but must be separated by type.”
Residents with more than the 10-tire county limit should contact the GCIA’s (Gloucester County Improvement Authority) office of recycling at (856) 478-6045.
