Toronto auto shop owner says scrap tires are piling up after recycling rule changes

A Scarborough auto repair shop owner says he has been ordered by Toronto officials to remove more than 1,000 scrap tires from his property, but he cannot find a recycler willing to take them after changes to Ontario's tire recycling rules. Seid Sayed, who runs Flame Auto Repair on Kingston Road, said the tires have accumulated in storage and outside the shop because a producer responsibility organization that once collected them has not arranged a pickup for months. He said the backlog has left him with little option, even though the tires create safety and environmental concerns. The city said businesses facing bylaw issues will be judged on the efforts they have made to resolve the problem, and in this case it has issued a warning rather than a fine. Provincial officials said producers and their contractors are expected to manage endoflife tires, while industry groups say more shops are now dealing with growing stockpiles and few practical ways to clear them.