When you buy a tire or battery you're likely to pay a surcharge that goes to the Solid Waste Management Fund. It's part of the solution to the solid waste problems facing our nation, a condition to which millions of junk tires annually make their contribution.

The good news is that used tires are a valuable resource; they just need proper storage and handling. They can be used in asphalt paving, as a supplementary fuel in many industries and as a raw material in molded plastic and rubber products.

The bad news: tens of thousands of tires land in the junk pile before their normal life expectancy. Due to motorists' poor maintenance habits, they're damaged and/or wear unevenly, requiring replacement before their normal "retirement" time.

Storage of waste tires is a challenge to tire recyclers. In addition to littering our landscapes they present a fire hazard and, because they provide a breeding place for insects and rodents, a health hazard as well.

With periodic wheel alignment and balancing, along with monthly checks of tire inflation, tires will last 10% - 20% longer. That means fewer scrap tires to dispose of; real savings to vehicle owners.