Old tyres can be seen everywhere.

They are thrown at the roadside, used to ignite fires at road protests or just left lying around.

But do we know the dangers of these modern wheels?

Albon Scott, executive manager environmental projects, at the Solid Waste Management Company Limited (Swmcol) explains.

’Burning tyres are very bad for health because the rubber is highly toxic,’ he said.

’Tyres left lying around have the potential for harbouring mosquitoes, which carry dengue fever and also other vermin’s like rats.’

Scott explained that dumping tyres was illegal under the Litter Act.

’But there is a very small penalty which is not a deterrent,’ he said.

For those choosing the legal path-like some tyre dealers with truck loads of old tyres-they pay SWMCOL to bury them at the Beetham Landfill.

’Our temporary measure is to put them in the landfill, at least we know where they are. However, that poses a problem especially if there is a fire at the landfill site.’

The Environmental Project manager said Government needs to invest in a tyre shredder.

’There has been attempts to get that type of equipment but we have not gotten it as yet,’ he explained.

’The wire could be taken out and sold through a steel factory and the rubber crumb of the tyre can be used in road material as part of aggregate, or it can be made into new tyres as well.’

Scott said Government could also work out an agreement with the rest of the Caribbean to shred their tyres.

’One of the biggest problems is that we bring in used tyres to be sold,’ he said.

’That should be stopped it is not good. In Barbados and Jamaica they don’t allow them in the country but we still allow them in and they each end up as waste.’

In 1998, scientists at Southampton Oceanography Centre (SOC) put 500 tyres together to form a reef the size of a tennis court and dropped it into Poole Bay, Dorset. The reef has thrived and now boasts species such as lobsters and wrasse.

Ken Collins, senior research fellow at the SOC said the marine life growing on the reef was not affected by the substances that come out of the tyre.