By Tex | TexasRecycleGuide.com | Updated April 2026
Table of Contents
- What Midland's rules actually say about tires
- Option 1 — Free county drop-off events (best option)
- Option 2 — Texas Recycles Day (annual, November)
- Option 3 — Tire retailer take-back
- Option 4 — Local haulers and pickup services
- Option 5 — City landfill (last resort, paid)
- New: Waste Energy tire recycling facility (2026)
- Common mistakes Midland residents make
- Tex's Take
- Quick checklist
- FAQ
Most people figure tire disposal is simple. Set them by the alley, city picks them up. Done.
That's not how Midland works. The city won't touch tires at the curb. The Citizens Collection Station on Smith Road explicitly excludes them from its accepted items list. And if you drive them to the landfill on Garden City Highway expecting to drop them off whole — they'll turn you away. Midland's municipal code says tires can only enter the landfill if they've been split, shredded, or quartered first. Nobody's slicing their own tires before a Saturday morning landfill run.
Before the county's drop-off program existed, up to 1,500 tires a month were showing up on Midland County roads. Illegal dumping. People weren't trying to be bad neighbors — they just had no idea where to go. That number has dropped roughly 90% since the program launched. The information exists. It's just scattered across city pages, county press releases, and local news articles that most residents never find.
This guide puts it all in one place — every verified option, with addresses, phone numbers, and what the rules actually say.
What Midland's rules actually say about tires
- Tires cannot be placed in your alley container or curbside for regular trash pickup — this is illegal dumping under Midland Municipal Code Chapter 8-6
- The Citizens Collection Station (4100 Smith Road) explicitly lists tires under "Not Accepted" on the city website
- The city landfill accepts tires only if they are split, shredded, or quartered — whole tires are refused
- Vehicles without a Garbage Hauler's Permit pay a $25 landfill access fee on top of any disposal charges
- Illegally dumped tires on public right-of-way are subject to fines under city ordinance
Texas state rules add another layer. Under TCEQ's scrap tire regulations, whole tires are banned from standard landfill disposal statewide unless processed first. Midland's local ordinance echoes this. The practical result: you cannot legally drop off a complete passenger tire at either the Citizens Collection Station or the Garden City Highway landfill without prior processing.
Four tires sitting in your garage since last rotation? You have real options — but none of them involve curbside pickup.
Option 1 — Free county drop-off events (best option)
This is the one most Midland residents don't know about. Midland County hosts periodic trash drop-off events throughout the year — free for county residents — where you can bring tires (up to 12 per visit), used motor oil (up to 5 gallons), vehicle batteries, prescription medications, and general large trash.
The location is Midland County Road and Bridge: 2435 E. Highway 80. Events run 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In 2025, the county held four events and collected over 21,000 tires total. The most recent event on April 11, 2026 — part of the Basin Action Day spring cleanup — pulled in 3,650 tires in a single morning.
| Location | Address | Tires Accepted | Cost | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland County Road & Bridge Drop-Off Event | 2435 E. Highway 80, Midland, TX | Up to 12 per visit | Free | 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (event days only) |
| Texas Recycles Day (annual, November) | Midland College Chap Center Parking Lot | Up to 6 per visit | Free | 9 a.m. – noon (one day annually) |
| City Landfill (Garden City Hwy) | Call to confirm address: 432-685-3431 | Shredded/quartered ONLY | $25 access fee + disposal | Mon–Fri 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–2 p.m. |
⚠️ Drop-off event dates are announced by Midland County and vary by year. Check midlandtexas.gov/149/Solid-Waste or call 432-685-7278 for the current schedule before making a trip.
The 12-tire limit per visit is per household. If you've got a bigger pile — say, from cleaning out an old shop or a family member's property — you'll need to either make multiple visits on separate event days, or use one of the paid options below. Nobody checks your license plate between events, but the spirit of the limit is clear.
Option 2 — Texas Recycles Day (annual, November)
Keep Midland Beautiful hosts the Texas Recycles Day event annually in mid-November — usually on or around November 15th — at the Midland College Chaparral Center parking lot. It's a one-morning affair: 9 a.m. to noon. You can drop tires (up to 6), electronics, computers, cell phones, printers, TVs, aluminum, cardboard, and plastics. No paint, no batteries at this particular event.
The tire limit here is lower than the county drop-off — six versus twelve. It's also one day a year. If you've got tires sitting in summer heat and you're reading this in April, you're not waiting until November. Good to know it exists; not always the practical answer for most people. Still, if you've got a mixed load of old electronics and tires, this event knocks both out in one trip.
Check Keep Midland Beautiful's announcements in October each year for the confirmed date. The event has run 19 consecutive years as of 2024.
Option 3 — Tire retailer take-back
If you're buying new tires, this is the easiest route and most people don't think to ask. Most tire shops in Midland will take your old tires off your hands when they mount the new ones — typically for $2 to $4 per tire as a disposal fee. Discount Tire, Walmart Auto Center, Firestone, and most independent shops on Big Spring Street and Midkiff Road all operate this way.
The limit: they're taking the tires they just replaced. If you drive in with four extra tires from your garage — tires they didn't mount — most shops will decline or charge a higher flat fee. Some will accept them anyway. Call ahead. Don't assume.
Worth asking every time you get new tires. A few dollars at point of service is still the path of least resistance.
Option 4 — Local haulers and pickup services
If you can't make a drop-off event date and you're not buying new tires, a local hauler is your next move. Tired Tyres is the most relevant local operation — they specifically serve Midland, Odessa, and Lubbock, and they specialize in tire pickup and recycling. Not a national junk removal company. Local.
| Service | Phone | Area Served | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tired Tyres | 432-236-1434 | Midland, Odessa, Lubbock | Local tire-specific service; call for pricing and availability |
| Federal Junk Removal (Midland) | Call to confirm | Midland area | Full junk removal; tires accepted with other items |
| LoadUp (national, local contractors) | Book online: goloadup.com | Midland County | Online booking, upfront pricing; works with local contractors |
⚠️ Call ahead to confirm current pricing and availability. Hauler availability and rates change — verify before scheduling.
Tired Tyres is the one worth calling first for Midland residents. They focus specifically on tires, they know the local disposal infrastructure, and they're not a national platform dispatching whoever happens to be in range. Pricing varies by volume — call and ask for a quote based on your tire count.
National services like LoadUp work fine for convenience, but you're paying a premium for the booking platform on top of the hauler's cost. For a standard set of four passenger tires, the difference may not matter. For a larger haul, call Tired Tyres directly.
Option 5 — City landfill (last resort, paid)
Technically an option. Practically, not useful for most people.
Midland's city landfill is on Garden City Highway. Hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For questions, contact Landfill Manager Martin Navarrete at 432-685-3431.
The problem: whole tires are banned under Midland Municipal Code Chapter 8-6. The landfill will only accept tires that have been split, quartered, or shredded. Without a commercial shredding operation, a regular resident has no practical way to prepare tires to that standard. On top of that, vehicles without a Garbage Hauler's Permit pay a $25 access fee just to enter the landfill premises, separate from any disposal charges. The landfill accepts card, cash, and check.
Bottom line: unless you've already had tires shredded by a commercial processor, the landfill is not a practical path for residential tire disposal. Use the county drop-off event or a hauler service instead.
New: Waste Energy tire recycling facility (2026)
Worth knowing, even if it's not yet open to residential drop-offs. Waste Energy Corp is commissioning a new tire recycling facility in Midland at 1136 N. County Road 1108. The facility can process up to 15 tons of tires per day — roughly 1,500 to 1,600 tires — and is targeting May 15, 2026 as its completion date.
The facility's primary focus is commercial and industrial tire volumes. Whether residential drop-offs become an option will depend on their operational setup post-commissioning. The city collected its first shipment of tires at this location back in October 2025, and the processing equipment is on-site.
If this facility opens to residential customers, it would change the tire disposal picture in Midland significantly — year-round processing at local capacity, without needing to wait for quarterly events. Check back after May 2026, or call the Midland Solid Waste office at 432-685-7278 for updates on residential access.
Common mistakes Midland residents make
- Dropping tires at the Citizens Collection Station — tires are on their "Not Accepted" list. Staff will turn you away. This is the single most common mistake Midland residents report.
- Setting tires by the alley container — the city's sanitation trucks will leave them. You'll get a code enforcement notice if they sit long enough. It's illegal dumping under city ordinance.
- Driving to the landfill with whole tires — the landfill only accepts tires that are already split, shredded, or quartered. Whole tires get refused at the gate plus you paid the $25 access fee for nothing.
- Missing the drop-off event window — the county events run 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Show up at 2:15 and you're turning around. They close on time.
- Bringing more than 12 tires to a county event — the limit is 12 per household per event. They count. If you have a truckload from cleaning out a property, split it across two event dates or use a hauler.
- Assuming tire shops will take garage tires for free — shops take the tires they removed from your vehicle. Extra tires from your garage usually get charged at a different rate or declined outright. Call ahead.
- Not checking 2026 event dates before driving out — event schedules are announced by the county, not posted far in advance. The April 11 Basin Action Day event just happened. Next one hasn't been publicly scheduled yet as of publication. Watch midlandtexas.gov newsflashes.
Tex's Take
For most Midland households with a normal set of old tires — four passenger tires from a rotation, maybe a fifth from a seasonal swap — the county drop-off event is the right answer. Full stop. Free, organized, and they collected over 21,000 tires in 2025 alone. That's not a small operation. The county knows people have this problem and they've built something that works.
The frustrating part is that nobody tells you it exists at the point when you need it. You go to set your tires by the alley, the city leaves them there, you call the solid waste office, and only then do you learn about a county event that happened three weeks ago. The information gap is real. That's what this guide is for.
If you've got more than 12 tires or can't make an event date, call Tired Tyres at 432-236-1434 first. They know this market, they're local, and a tire-specific hauler beats a general junk removal service for this particular item every time. For everyone else — check the Midland newsflash page in spring and fall, note the event date, and put four tires in the truck that morning. Done.
Tire Disposal Checklist — Midland, TX
- ☐ Confirm how many tires you have (under 12 → county event; over 12 → hauler or split across dates)
- ☐ Check midlandtexas.gov for the next Midland County drop-off event date
- ☐ If buying new tires soon → ask the shop to include disposal of your old set
- ☐ If you need year-round pickup → call Tired Tyres at 432-236-1434 for a quote
- ☐ If you have mixed load of tires + electronics → wait for Texas Recycles Day in November at Midland College Chap Center
- ☐ Do NOT set tires at the alley, do NOT take whole tires to the landfill, do NOT drop them at Citizens Collection Station on Smith Road
- ☐ After May 2026 → call 432-685-7278 to ask if Waste Energy facility at 1136 N. County Road 1108 accepts residential drop-offs
If you're cleaning out a garage or storage space in the Permian Basin and tires are just part of a bigger pile, see our guide to mattress disposal options in Waco, TX for how bulk item disposal rules differ across Texas cities — Midland's approach to large items is handled differently than Central Texas cities. And for electronics that often pile up alongside old tires in a garage cleanout, our TV recycling guide for Abilene, TX covers West Texas e-waste options that parallel what's available here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put old tires in my Midland trash or recycling bin?
No. Tires are explicitly prohibited from curbside trash collection and from the Citizens Collection Station on Smith Road under Midland's solid waste code. Placing them at the alley or curb for regular pickup constitutes illegal dumping and may result in a code enforcement notice.
Where is the Midland County tire drop-off location?
Midland County Road and Bridge, 2435 E. Highway 80. Drop-off events are held periodically — not on a fixed weekly schedule. In 2025, four events were held. Call the Midland Solid Waste office at 432-685-7278 or watch midlandtexas.gov for the next scheduled date.
Does the Midland landfill accept tires?
Only if they have been split, shredded, or quartered first — whole tires are refused per city ordinance and TCEQ state rules. The landfill also charges a $25 access fee per vehicle for residents without a Garbage Hauler's Permit. Contact Landfill Manager Martin Navarrete at 432-685-3431 for current conditions before making a trip.
Is there a local tire pickup service in Midland?
Yes. Tired Tyres is a local tire-focused environmental service covering Midland, Odessa, and Lubbock — call 432-236-1434 for pickup and pricing. For general junk removal that includes tires, Federal Junk Removal (Midland) and the national platform LoadUp (goloadup.com) also serve the area.
How many tires can I bring to a Midland County drop-off event?
Up to 12 tires per household per event at the county drop-off (2435 E. Highway 80). Texas Recycles Day in November at Midland College allows up to 6 tires. If you have more than 12 tires, plan for multiple event visits or contact a hauler for a single pickup.
⚠️ Hours, addresses, and event schedules listed in this guide were verified against official City of Midland and Midland County sources at time of publication (April 2026). Drop-off event dates change year to year. Always call 432-685-7278 or check midlandtexas.gov before making a trip, as schedules are subject to change without notice.
What to do right now
Go to midlandtexas.gov's newsflash page and search for the next trash drop-off event announcement. The county typically runs events in spring and fall. April's Basin Action Day just happened — the next one is likely late summer or early fall 2026. Set a reminder on your phone for September and check back then.
If you're rotating tires at a shop within the next few weeks, just ask them to handle the old set. Two dollars per tire is worth not making a separate trip. If you need pickup now and can't wait for an event, call Tired Tyres at 432-236-1434 and get a quote.
The system in Midland isn't complicated once you know it. The county drop-off program works. Over 21,000 tires collected in a single year proves that. You just had to know where to look.
About Tex
Tex is the pen name of Vinod Pandey, an environmental researcher and digital content creator who runs TexasRecycleGuide.com. Every guide is independently researched against official Texas city and county solid waste sources. No guesswork, no invented addresses — just verified local information for Lone Star State residents.
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