The Palmerston North City Council has reported a sharp decline in illegal tyre dumping and illegal dumping which includes tyres since the Tyrewise scheme launched.

Before Tyrewise, Palmerston North spent $200,000 to $300,000 annually on dealing with illegal dumping, some of which was related to tyres. Tyre reports arrived weekly, ranging from single tyres to some incidents of hundreds of tyres dumped at once.

The council had proactively established its own user-pays collection point, providing residents with a simple disposal option. Waste Minimisation Officer Melissa Doyle had worked to set up the service, which sent tyres to be processed and used for fuel.

“We wanted to provide a service to the community and cover the costs,” she explains. The council also needed to clear existing stockpiles of recovered illegally dumped tyres before new environmental standards for outdoor tyre storage came into effect.

When Tyrewise launched, the council’s existing infrastructure meant they could transition smoothly, with most changes being administrative. The key difference was making drop-off of end-of-life tyres free to the public. After the launch of Tyrewise, the city saw a 47% reduction in the number of dumped tyres and 28% fewer dumping incidents that included tyres.

The free service also influenced community behaviour. Tyre drop-offs increased significantly as residents used the accessible solution. Additional benefits followed: illegal dumping tends to attract more dumping, but clean spaces stay clean. The city looks tidier, collection teams handle less hazardous bulky waste, and ratepayers save money.

For Palmerston North, Tyrewise demonstrates that removing cost barriers encourages community participation and reduces illegal dumping.