Ontario’s Used Tire Backlog in Ontario.

Ontario’s Used Tire Backlog in Ontario.

Why Garages Are Filling Up and What It Says About the Recycling System

Overview

Ontario’s used tire system was designed to keep scrap tires moving from shops and depots into collection, processing, reuse, and recycling streams without charging the public at the point of drop-off. In practice, recent reporting from across the province shows a growing disconnect between how the system is supposed to work and what many garages, tire dealers, and municipalities are experiencing on the ground.

This two-part article examines both sides of that gap. Part One explains how Ontario’s tire system works, what changed under extended producer responsibility, and why the old “tire tax” story is often misunderstood. Part Two looks at the backlog itself, why used tires are piling up at repair shops and depots, and what the problem means for garage owners, local governments, and the credibility of the current recycling model.

Part One: How Ontario’s Tire System Is Supposed to Work

The old “tire tax” idea still confuses people

Many Ontarians still refer to a “tire tax,” but the current system is not structured the way the old stewardship-era fee was commonly understood. Under Ontario’s present framework, tires are regulated under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act and O. Reg. 225/18, with producers carrying the legal responsibility for collection and resource recovery outcomes.

That matters because the public often assumes that if money is collected somewhere in the supply chain, guaranteed pickup and smooth recycling should follow automatically. The present framework is more complicated: producers can meet obligations through their own systems, through producer responsibility organizations, and through contracted networks of collectors, haulers, and processors.

A major shift happened in 2019

RPRA says Ontario Tire Stewardship’s Used Tires Program ended on December 31, 2018, and the new producer-responsibility framework began on January 1, 2019. That shift moved Ontario away from the previous province-wide stewardship model and toward a framework in which obligated producers became directly responsible for meeting collection and management requirements.

In theory, extended producer responsibility is supposed to create stronger incentives for efficiency and innovation because the parties that place tires onto the market also become responsible for what happens when those tires reach end of life. In practice, that model depends on stable service networks, dependable collection capacity, functioning processors, and rules strong enough to ensure that tires keep moving even when market conditions change.

How tires are supposed to move through the system.

The intended path is fairly straightforward. A consumer or business generates a used tire, a collection site accepts it, a hauler or service provider moves it onward, and the tire is then processed for reuse, retreading, recycling, or final disposal, depending on condition and market pathway.

RPRA’s guidance for collection site operators explains that sites participating in the system must meet acceptance and accessibility rules, and it states that non-municipal collection sites must accept up to 10 passenger and light-truck tires per day from any person, including tires on rims. This is one of the central promises of the system: Ontario residents and businesses should be able to move used tires into a recovery stream without paying a public drop-off fee at the collection point.[

The 2025 changes added flexibility

Ontario’s tire system changed again in 2025. Public guidance from eTracks says the revised framework gave producers and PROs greater flexibility in how they organize collection networks while maintaining free collection and accessibility requirements for the public.

Supporters of flexible design may argue that this reduces unnecessary rigidity and lets networks adapt to regional demand. Critics, however, argue that more flexibility without stronger performance triggers can produce a system that looks compliant on paper while weakening practical collection service, especially when haulers or processors pull back.

Why collection sites matter more than most people realize

Collection sites are the pressure points of the whole system. They are where the public expectation of “recycling” collides with the logistical reality of storage limits, pickup schedules, transport costs, and downstream processing capacity.

When tires move out regularly, the system is mostly invisible to consumers. When tires do not move regularly, garages and municipal sites become the visible face of failure, because the tires accumulate where space is already tight and where every delay interferes with normal operations.

This concludes the first half of a two-part series. Check back for the second half of this article. Part Two looks at the backlog itself, why used tires are piling up at repair shops and depots, and what the problem means for garage owners, local governments, and the credibility of the current recycling model.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or insurance advice. Insurance rules and coverage details can change, and individual circumstances vary significantly. For specific guidance about your policy, coverage options, or how these changes affect your situation, please contact a licensed insurance broker, agent, or insurer directly. You may also want to review the policy wording or consult with a legal professional for personalized advice.