Got tired old tyres hanging around? Good news: disposing of them properly is easy, responsible and delightfully undramatic.

Thanks to the Tyrewise scheme, old tyres can be kept out of landfill. When you buy new tyres, you can usually leave the worn-out ones with your registered tyre fitter at no extra disposal charge. You can also take up to five end-of-life tyres to a registered public collection site for free.

Locally, our transfer stations accept vehicle tyres, including car, 4WD, light truck, truck and tractor tyres. Just make sure they are off the rim, free of inner tubes, and whole — no tyre confetti please, no matter how fun it may seem. Tyres still left on the rim will be charged.

Once collected, tyres can be turned into useful products such as rubber materials for roads, building products, ramps and playground surfaces. So instead of becoming a backyard eyesore, your old tyre gets a second life potentially even becoming part of the roads it once drove on.

If you're curious to learn more, check out the Wasted with Kate video below to see what happens to tyres in New Zealand.