New Regulations On
Disposal Of Used Tires
in Effect Tomorrow
Beginning tomorrow,
purchasers of new tires
will be obligated to
leave their old, used
tires with the seller,
in accordance with the
Reglamento de Llantas de
Desecho.
The new regulations were
published in the
official government
publication, La Gaceta,
last May 15 and go into
effect November 14.
Sellers of new tires had
all this time to prepare
for the changes,
required them to present
to the Ministerio de
Salud (health ministry)
a plan for their final
disposition.
The objective of the
regulation is protect
the evironment, as Costa
Ricans are accustomed to
disposing of theirs used
tires in abandoned lots
and rivers, and reduce
the spread of Dengue,
which is fertile
breeding ground for the
Aedes aegypti mosquito,
the carrier of the
desease.
According to Caja
Costarricense de Seguro
Social (CCSS) doctor,
Rose Climent, she hopes
the change will greatly
reduce the 20.000 cases
of Dengue each year.
For their part, Danilo
Rodríguez, of
Fundellantas, and Ramón
Salas, of the Asociación
de Comercializadores de
Llantas, expressed their
content with the new
regulation, as a tire
can take up to 600 years
to degrade.
Both Salas and Rodríguez
said that those who sell
new tires will now feel
the responsibility of
collecting the used
tires and guarantee
proper disposal.
It is estimated that
some 800.000 tires are
disposed each year, and
no one really knows
where they end up.
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