09/14/2026
2026 Pendleton County Waste Tire Collection Event
In August 2026 Pendleton County hosted a state sponsored Waste Tire Collection Event. These events only come to Pendleton County every three years. The Waste Tire Collection Program, established in 1998, is part of the Energy and Environment Cabinetโs (EEC) ongoing effort to rid Kentuckyโs landscape of waste tires.
During a waste tire collection event, individuals can drop off their unwanted tires at a specific location within their county at no cost. The EEC contracts for the removal and delivery of the recovered tires to โbeneficial end useโ markets where they are recycled to become products such as tire-derived fuel or crumb rubber. Multiple-county programs are included under each contract to achieve an economy of scale necessary to attract large, well-capitalized contractors.
The program is supported by the Waste Tire Trust Fund, which is funded when tire retailers collect a $2 fee on all new replacement motor vehicle tires sold. Retailers may retain five cents to offset administrative costs, but the balance is required to go in the Waste Tire Trust Fund, which is dedicated to managing scrap tires and developing sustainable markets for recycled tire products.
To date, tire amnesty is responsible for the proper disposal of more than 19 million waste tires. The state has also developed an important end-use market with Owensboro Municipal Utilities to burn waste tires as fuel in its operation.
The 2026 Pendleton County Waste Tire Collection Event accepted 18,625 tires over a two and one half day period and was staffed by employees of the Pendleton County Road Department, Pendleton County Emergency Management, and Pendleton County State Transportation Department.
