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Two events: the biannual tire collection event and the Jessamine County Fall Haul are coming up. 

They’re both opportunities for folks to recycle their old tires and hazardous household waste without the typical costs of dropping off tires or hazardous waste to the Jessamine County Convenience Center throughout the year. 

First, the “tire amnesty event,” as many residents call it colloquially, will be held on September 26 and 27 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and September 28 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The drop-off location is 260 Wilson Drive in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

“Of course, we accept tires year-round, but there’s a small charge. This event is completely free of charge,” said Jessamine County Judge-Executive David West.

The county’s grant to remove tire recycling charges comes from the Kentucky Division of Waste Management. Because it is a state grant, residents throughout Kentucky are welcome to bring their tires to Jessamine County. West said this ensures that if residents of a different county missed their area’s free tire collection event, they still have a chance to get rid of their tires for free in an appropriate manner. 

West said this keeps tires off the sides of the roads, out of our waterways, and out of landfills, as 100 percent of the tires received at the Convenience Center are recycled. 

According to Richie Horn, Environmental Director of Jessamine County, the county collected 27,836 tires at its last tire amnesty event. 

Accepted tires include on- or off-rim tires (truck, light truck, passenger, tractor, bicycle, motorcycle, farm equipment, and Go-Cart tires).

Tires not accepted include foam-filled tires, calcium-filled tires, off-road construction tires (OTR), and rubber tracks solid tires with/without press-on rims. 

Although this event in Jessamine County is open to all Kentucky residents, tire retailers, scrap/salvage yards, and recycling facilities are not allowed to recycle tires at this event. 

Also coming up at the end of October is the Jessamine County Resident Exclusive Fall Haul for Free Household Hazardous Waste Removal. 

The event is on October 26, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the drop-off is at the Jessamine County Convenience Center, 123 Hendren Way, Nicholasville, KY. 

Only Jessamine County residential hazardous waste will be accepted for this event, and no commercial hazardous waste will be allowed. 

According to the Jessamine County Fiscal Court, items accepted during the event are paint, paint thinner, antifreeze, pesticides, pool chemicals, creosote, insect sprays, moth balls, oven and floor cleaners, and arts and crafts supplies. 

Propane cylinders, shingles, drywall, bricks, concrete blocks, asphalt, dirt, standard household waste such as daily trash and food garbage, storm brush, and tires will not be accepted at the Fall Haul event. 

Horn said that last year, the Fall Haul event received 12.10 tons of paint and hazardous chemicals, which were then recycled. 

Both of these events are drop-off events, as the county does not provide pick-up options. 

Throughout the year, the Jessamine County Convenience Center accepts drop-offs of 300 pounds or less of car, truck, and tractor tires, televisions, appliances with freon, appliances without freon, electronic waste, wet cardboard, wood, carpet, mattress and box springs, couches, metal, drywall, construction debris, cardboard, batteries, furniture, and contaminated recycling. These items are accepted at a cost and are only available for non-commercial waste from residents. 

Items never accepted are regular household garbage, food scraps, wet items, liquids, rocks, brick, dirt, concrete, brush, and blacktop. Paint is accepted, but it must be dried by cat litter before being brought to the convenience center. 

The following are the policies for the Jessamine County Convenience Center:

• Customers must unload all material themselves. 
• All items for recycling and disposal must be at the center by 3:00 p.m., as vehicles must be weighed in by 3:30 p.m. to ensure debris disposal.
• Residential recycling only, not commercial recycling from businesses.
• The cardboard and recycling pieces should be no larger than 2 feet by 2 feet.