Every year, the volume of tires sold in Latvia is increasing. About 20,000 tires were sold last year. Last year, about 16,000 tires were placed in sorting areas.
Mārtiņš Mālmeisters, spokesman for the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), recalled that the purchase of new tires should start at a time when the wear of the tire tread is approaching the minimum permitted depth: for summer tires, the minimum tread depth is 1.6 millimeters, while for winter tires it is four millimeters.
By the end of May, Latvian Green Point, together with Eco Baltia vide and Sigulda company Jumis, organizes a campaign "Drop a tire responsibly". In four places in Latvia – Rīga, Getliņu Street 5, as well as Sigulda, Daugavpils and Liepāja, it is possible to discard the tires free of charge.
Eco Baltia vide director Andris Ziemelis said that within 10 days the population had discarded 170 tonnes of tires, equivalent to approximately 17,000 tires. “Therefore, we can say that citizens are very actively taking advantage of the campaign we offer. The campaign is only halfway. We expect a lot more end-of-life tires,” said Ziemelis.
The tires are used as fuel or the base for new products, for example, sports track coverings.
In the coming years, free transfer points are likely to be available free of charge throughout the year, as EU requirements require Member States to collect back an increasing percentage of tire sales annually.
The nearest sorting point where the tires can be discarded for recycling can be found on the website skiroviegli.lv.
