The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announces the availability of grants through its Scrap Tire Program聽to support the cleanup and reuse of abandoned聽tires across the state. Applications must be聽submitted聽by 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Up to $1 million in聽Scrap Tire Cleanup Grants聽are聽proposed聽to be awarded聽for聽projects in fiscal year聽2026.聽The grants are聽available to local governments, nonprofits, and private property owners. Eligible activities include cleanup of abandoned tire piles and community collection events designed to prevent illegal dumping. Priority will be given to sites where tires accumulated prior to 1991 and locations posing an immediate health or safety risk.
The Scrap Tire Program聽regulates transportation, storage, and disposal of scrap tires. It also oversees cleanup efforts for tire piles of 500 or more and promotes recycling and reuse聽as part of Michigan鈥檚 circular economy.
Michigan generates more than 10 million scrap tires a year. Improper disposal poses serious risks, and it is illegal to dispose of whole motor vehicle tires in Michigan landfills. Scrap tire fires are hard to put out and can contaminate water through runoff. Unmanaged tire piles create breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can carry diseases such as West Nile Virus.
But聽scrap tires聽also聽represent聽a significant opportunity. In Michigan, they are increasingly being repurposed into useful materials such as聽rubber mulch, tire-derived fuel, road construction materials, aggregate for backfill and drainage systems, and components for new tires and plastic products.聽In聽fiscal year聽2025, EGLE awarded over $1.1 million聽for聽64 cleanup projects聽that removed聽hundreds of thousands of tires statewide.
To apply for a聽cleanup聽grant, visit聽EGLE鈥檚聽聽and select the聽appropriate link聽under 鈥淐leanup Grants,鈥� or聽email聽[email protected].