Have you ever wondered what 100 million tires looks like? It would be a whole lot of tires. If stacked on top of one another, 100 million tires would be equivalent in height to not just one, but over 36,000 CN Towers. Thankfully old tires are now recycled here in the province and are no longer creating stockpiles or ending up in landfills.

We’re thrilled to announce that with the help of Ontarians and our industry partners, we’ve now recycled 100 million tires through Ontario Tire Stewardship’s Used Tires Program. This incredible milestone has been achieved in just eight years since the program’s inception in 2009, and we plan to celebrate this and many other successes along our “Road to 100.”

Before the Used Tires Program started, many of these tires accumulated into large tire piles posing serious environmental and safety risks. Now, with the help of our industry partners, we’ve cleaned up more than one million tire piles across Ontario. In fact, through the Used Tires Program, Ontario has a 100 per cent diversion rate, meaning that 100 per cent of the scrap tires collected in the province are responsibly recycled and diverted from landfills. Recycled tires are now transformed to create sustainable products designed for the home, garden and landscaping such as patio tiles, planters, rubber landscaping mulch, gym flooring, playground surfacing and more.

But recycling tires and creating new eco-friendly products doesn’t stop there—through OTS’ community-based revitalization programs, like the Community Renewal Fund (CRF), a total of 60 community projects in the province have been awarded more than $1 million in funding for new and need-to-be-renewed public spaces. Playgrounds, fitness tracks and other public spaces have received a facelift using recycled tire products. It’s a win-win!

As we celebrate the Road to 100, OTS will continue to recognize the innovation, achievements and accomplishments that have been inspired by the hard work of Ontario communities and made possible with the help of our fellow industry partners.