Drive Smarter, Help the Environment & Save Money - A Green Tire Guide

Just about everybody knows that driving an electric or hybrid vehicle is better for the environment, but not everybody is in the position to buy one. When it comes to driving, there are other green things you can do that also add some "green" to your wallet. From inflating tires with alternative gases to choosing upcycled tires, our tire guide will help you green up your ride.

Inflate tires with nitrogen for improved fuel efficiency

According to the Environmental Protection Agency's Fuel Economy guide, under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Because nitrogen has more stable pressure than oxygen (due to its larger molecules), it is less likely to seep through the permeable tire walls. Tires that stay filled longer are better for the environment because:

• The vehicle uses less gas when it's riding on full tires
• You make fewer trips to fill up on gas

If you want to compare your fuel savings between air- or nitrogen-filled tires, check out the Get Nitrogen Institute's nitrogen calculator.

Right-size tires on your vehicle = less wear and petroleum waste

Most of us assume that the tires our vehicles come with are the best option for our make or model. Tire size, driving conditions and materials used in manufacturing matter too, though, when it comes to wear and tear. If your two-ton vehicle is riding on an inadequate-size tires, you're literally going to burn rubber faster. Consider if touring tires, winter tires or all-season tires will provide better wear than what you drove off the dealer lot with.

Discover if your car can use recycled retreaded tires

Retreaded tires offer eco-conscious drivers a reliable and affordable way to make use of upcycled materials. The Retread Tire Association reports that significant savings of raw materials exist by retreading, including synthetic and natural rubber, sulfur and sulfur compounds, silica, carbon black, steel wire, zinc oxide plus additional other materials and ingredients.

If you're wondering where you might find recycled tires to fit your vehicle, Earth 911 enables users to search using their zip code to find a dealer. We hope to see more recycled tire availability as the process of de-vulcanizing rubber takes off.

Green your tires by going orange

Adding orange oil in the tire manufacturing process can cut down petroleum use by four-fifths, according to greencarreports.com. While they won't appear orange or smell like citrus, these tires are even more slow-rolling than ones designed for hybrid models like the Toyota Prius. While most tires are made from petroleum, these eco-friendly tires get their orange oil from discarded orange peels from juice manufacturers and rely largely on renewable resources for the other design components. Unlike many slow-rolling tires that have fallen out of favor due to slippage on cold, wet surfaces, the orange oil heats up when the tire is in use, actually making it grippier.