Those piles are shrinking, thanks to the state’s tire-recycling program. It is funded by a $1 fee on every new tire sold, but a legislative audit released Wednesday found the program’s goals are not being fully realized.
Turns out, Utah motorists are generating far more waste tires than are collected for recycling— despite unused capacity among the four firms authorized to process the old wheels.
Meanwhile, the state’s tire fund has ballooned during the past decade from practically nothing to $4.6 million, indicating that it takes in more money than it spends on cleanups and subsidies that promote recycling.