Scarborough Auto Shop Owner Says He Cannot Clear Growing Stockpiles of Tires

A Scarborough auto repair shop owner says he could face enforcement action from the City of Toronto over more than 1,000 scrap tires stored on his property, even though recycling organizations have failed to collect them.

More Than 1,000 Tires Accumulate at Auto Repair Shop

Seid Sayed, the owner of Flame Auto Repair on Kingston Road, said Toronto’s Municipal Licensing and Standards division emailed him with instructions to remove the tires by Thursday.

The tires are currently stacked both inside a storage area and outside the auto repair shop. Although Sayed was told that he could request additional time, he said the main problem remains unresolved: no producer responsibility organization, commonly known as a PRO, has agreed to collect the backlog.

PROs work with tire haulers and recycling facilities to collect and process used tires on behalf of tire producers.

Sayed emphasized that his business is not being operated as a dumping ground. He said the growing tire pile is more than an appearance problem because it also creates serious safety concerns.

“This isn’t a landfill. This is a private small business,” Sayed said while standing near the accumulated tires. He described the stockpile as both an eyesore and a potential safety hazard.

Ontario Reduced Used Tire Recycling Targets

Since 2019, Ontario tire producers have been individually responsible for ensuring that used tires are recycled. Producers can fulfill these obligations themselves or transfer responsibility for meeting recycling quotas to registered PROs.

However, the Ontario government changed its used tire recycling requirements in January 2025.

Under the revised regulations, producers are required to recycle only 65 per cent of collected used tires by weight. The previous recycling target was 85 per cent. The province also lowered the required number of used tire collection locations.

Sayed said a PRO previously collected tires from his shop twice each month. The last pickup, however, occurred approximately seven months ago.

He said he contacted a PRO three times and was repeatedly instructed to wait. Sayed also emailed two Ontario members of provincial parliament but did not receive a response.

Taking the tires to a municipal disposal facility is not an available solution because city rules prevent businesses such as his from dropping them off at a municipal dump.

Sayed acknowledged that he does not want the tires stored on his property but said he has been left without a practical alternative.

Toronto Issued a Warning, Not a Fine

Paul Di Salvo, Toronto’s director of regulatory compliance and enforcement, said the city understands that some businesses are experiencing difficulties disposing of scrap tires.

However, he warned that large tire stockpiles can create environmental, public health and safety risks. These include fire hazards and spaces where pests may breed.

Di Salvo said enforcement officials will consider the steps taken by a property owner to correct a bylaw violation before deciding what action is appropriate.

The city confirmed that Flame Auto Repair has received only a warning and has not yet been fined.

Tire Dealers Report Growing Backlogs Across Ontario

Peter Tabuns, the Ontario NDP’s environment critic, has argued that the province’s regulatory changes have contributed to excess tire stockpiles.

According to Tabuns, some PROs believe they have neither a legal obligation nor a financial reason to process additional tires after required targets have been reached.

The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority, Ontario’s recycling regulator, has stated that producers must continue collecting and recycling tires from registered collection sites, even after meeting their regulatory targets.

Adam Moffatt, executive director of the Ontario Tire Dealers Association, said tire backlogs are becoming a growing provincial concern.

He said more tires appear to be trapped within the recycling system now than at the end of the previous year.

The association is reportedly receiving daily calls from dozens of tire dealers and collection facilities facing environmental and storage concerns. According to Moffatt, many affected businesses have not been offered a workable method for removing their accumulated tires.

He warned that Ontario could face an even larger tire surplus by the end of 2026 unless the regulations are changed.

Moffatt estimated that the province could have between three million and four million excess tires by the end of the year, raising questions about where those tires can be safely stored or processed.

Environment Ministry Reviewing Tire Regulations

Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment said producers and PROs are expected to manage all end-of-life tires as they become available.

Ministry spokesperson Gary Wheeler said the government recently completed a 30-day consultation regarding proposed amendments to Ontario’s tire regulations. Feedback from the consultation is being reviewed before the province determines its next steps.

Wheeler added that the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority continues to monitor the system to confirm that tire producers and PROs are meeting existing regulatory requirements.

Collection facilities experiencing backlogs have been advised to contact registered tire PROs, haulers and processors to determine whether any organization has the capacity to accept additional tires.

The growing pile of scrap tires at Flame Auto Repair reflects a wider problem affecting tire dealers and collection sites across Ontario. Although businesses remain responsible for preventing unsafe stockpiles, many say they have no reliable way to arrange pickups.

With experts warning that millions of additional tires could remain unprocessed, pressure is increasing on Ontario regulators, producers and recycling organizations to establish a dependable collection system before the backlog becomes a greater environmental and public safety concern.