Liberty Tire Recycling Expands National Footprint with Two New Facilities in Alabama, Strengthening State’s Transition Away from Landfilling Whole Tires
Liberty Tire Recycling, North America’s leading full-service tire recycler and the only coast-to-coast operator in the industry, today announced a major expansion of its operations with the opening of two new facilities in Alabama. This strategic investment follows Alabama’s landmark decision to phase out the practice of landfilling whole tires — a move that will significantly improve the state’s environmental management, reduce waste, and strengthen its recycling infrastructure.
The new Liberty Tire facilities will serve as key pillars in Alabama’s waste management transformation, converting millions of discarded tires into valuable, sustainable products. By introducing advanced recycling capabilities, Liberty aims to not only address the growing challenge of tire waste but also create local jobs, support manufacturers, and reinforce Alabama’s leadership in environmental stewardship.
Two New Facilities to Power Alabama’s Recycling Future
The first of the two facilities will be located in the Mobile area, slated to open in early 2026. This site will serve southern and central Alabama and act as a hub for collection, processing, and recycling. A second facility in north Alabama will be announced in 2026, expanding Liberty’s ability to serve the entire state and neighboring regions.
Together, these facilities will give Liberty Tire Recycling the capacity to process more than four million tires annually in Alabama alone. The company will also be able to extend its services to communities in Mississippi and North Florida, ensuring a regional solution for tire waste management.
Both facilities are expected to create approximately 60 well-paying jobs with competitive wages and comprehensive benefits. These roles will include production, maintenance, logistics, and technical positions that support local economies and foster workforce development.
The new sites will produce tire-derived fuel (TDF) — a low-emissions alternative energy source commonly used in pulp and paper mills, cement kilns, and industrial boilers. The northern Alabama location will also manufacture rubber feedstock that will be further processed into crumb rubber, which is used in manufacturing consumer and industrial goods, road construction materials, and sports and playground surfaces.
State Leadership Welcomes Liberty’s Commitment
The expansion comes at a pivotal time for Alabama, which is taking bold steps to modernize its waste management systems. The state’s Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has played a critical role in transitioning toward more sustainable practices.
Recycling and reuse are vitally important to Alabama’s environment and economy,” said Edward Poolos, Director of ADEM. “We are excited to welcome Liberty Tire Recycling to Alabama and look forward to working with them to build the infrastructure needed to manage waste tires responsibly.”
The partnership between Liberty Tire and the state government marks a turning point in how Alabama handles end-of-life tires. By investing in domestic recycling infrastructure, the state will reduce its dependence on landfilling, conserve valuable landfill space, and mitigate health hazards associated with tire waste.
Ending Whole Tire Landfilling: A Major Environmental Milestone
In 2024, Alabama announced plans to phase out the landfilling of whole waste tires — a practice long considered environmentally unsustainable. Currently, Alabama is the only southeastern state that still permits the disposal of whole tires in landfills. This has resulted in millions of tires being sent to Alabama from neighboring states, overwhelming landfill capacity and creating environmental and public health challenges.
Whole tires are known to trap air and rise to the surface of landfills over time, damaging containment systems. They also collect rainwater, becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other pests that spread disease. Moreover, the practice wastes valuable raw materials that can be recovered and reused through recycling.
By investing in recycling infrastructure, Liberty Tire Recycling and the State of Alabama are addressing these issues head-on. The new facilities will convert what was once a waste problem into an economic and environmental opportunity, ensuring that tires are repurposed into useful materials rather than discarded.
A Stronger Recycling Ecosystem and Local Economic Growt
Liberty Tire Recycling already has a strong presence in the region, collecting waste tires from retailers, distributors, and municipalities across Alabama. Until now, those tires were primarily transported to Liberty’s facilities in adjoining states for processing. The new Alabama facilities will reduce transportation costs and emissions, while allowing recycling operations to take place closer to the source.
These investments strengthen Liberty Tire’s commitment to sustainable innovation and community development,” said Thomas Womble, CEO of Liberty Tire Recycling. “We are very excited to enhance our recycling footprint in Alabama. Our new locations, and the investments they represent, mean we are even better positioned to meet the needs and recycling initiatives of manufacturers, retailers, and our other recycling partners throughout the region.”
By building local infrastructure, Liberty is not only creating jobs but also enabling Alabama businesses to participate more fully in the circular economy — where materials are reused, repurposed, and reintroduced into the supply chain. This expansion aligns with Liberty’s mission to transform end-of-life tires into valuable resources while promoting economic growth and sustainability.
Innovating Beyond Tire-Derived Fuel
While tire-derived fuel remains a significant product in Liberty’s portfolio, the company’s innovation extends far beyond energy production. Liberty Tire produces a variety of recycled materials and end-use products that contribute to multiple industries, including:
- Crumb Rubber and Rubber Aggregates: Used in athletic fields, playground surfacing, running tracks, and molded rubber goods.
- Asphalt Rubber: A key ingredient in rubberized asphalt used for paving roads, improving durability, and reducing traffic noise.
- Consumer and Industrial Products: Including landscaping mulch, mats, flooring, and automotive parts.
- Recycled Steel Wire: Extracted from tires and supplied to manufacturers for use in new steel products.
These innovative recycling processes demonstrate Liberty’s commitment to maximizing the value of every tire component — rubber, steel, and fiber — through sustainable engineering and circular production models.
A National Leader in Tire Recycling
Liberty Tire Recycling operates the largest and most comprehensive tire recycling network in North America, with 60 facilities spanning the United States, Puerto Rico, and western Canada. The company partners with thousands of tire manufacturers, retailers, and government agencies to collect and recycle hundreds of millions of tires annually.
Through these partnerships, Liberty ensures that end-of-life tires are managed in an environmentally responsible way — reducing waste, conserving natural resources, and supporting industries that rely on recycled materials.
The company’s coast-to-coast presence allows it to maintain strong local relationships while delivering consistent quality and innovation nationwide. Its operations are guided by a mission to protect the environment, create value from waste, and promote a more sustainable future through tire recycling and reuse.
Driving Alabama Toward a Sustainable Future
Liberty’s new investments signal a long-term commitment to Alabama’s environmental and economic progress. As the state moves forward with its plan to eliminate whole tire landfilling, Liberty’s infrastructure will provide a practical and scalable solution to handle the millions of tires generated each year.
This initiative not only ensures that Alabama keeps pace with national recycling standards but also helps the state attract new industries and manufacturing partners that depend on sustainable raw materials.
By transforming a once-overlooked waste stream into a renewable resource, Liberty Tire Recycling and the State of Alabama are demonstrating what forward-thinking collaboration can achieve — cleaner communities, stronger economies, and a more sustainable tomorrow.
About Liberty
Liberty is committed to partnering with industry leaders to help inspire a more sustainable planet. Liberty is continuously striving to find new and better ways to reclaim, recycle, reuse, and repurpose the more than 215 million end-of-life tires the Company collects annually for renewable solutions that benefit the long-term health of the world. As the market leader in tire recycling management in North America, diverting more than 4.5 billion pounds of rubber from landfills each year, Liberty’s passion is to make the world a better place to live for generations to come by boldly changing the way the industry approaches sustainability.
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