Description:

Illegally dumped tires are a huge problem for the entire Lower Rio Grande Valley. To combat this issue, the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council (LRGVDC) created the “Road to Recycling” Regional Tire Collection Project to collect and recycle tires. In 2019, Irys collaborated with LRGVDC to launch the “R-2-R App,” a mobile web app platform that allows citizens to report illegally dumped tires throughout the lower Rio Grande Valley area.

Problem:

Illegally dumped tires decrease the quality of life in communities. This issue poses significant environmental and health risks to residents and impacts economic development. This problem became a severe epidemic in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, causing hazards in waterways, affecting flood-prone drainage areas, and serving as breeding grounds for rodents and mosquitoes that carry harmful viruses, such as dengue fever, West Nile virus, and Zika virus.

Solution:

In 2019, Irys launched the “R-2-R app,” a web-based mobile application that allows residents to quickly and easily report illegally dumped tire sites in the community from their mobile devices. Users can create a report by indicating the tires’ location, attaching a photo of the issue, providing a description and details regarding the issue, and submitting their report. The reports submitted are received and addressed by LRGVDC and partners.

The “R-2-R app” is a web app that can be accessed through a link on any web browser (via smartphone or computer). This tool promotes equity and inclusion and ensures that users in the Lower Rio Grande Valley that cannot afford or access smartphones can still access the platform and have the same experience typically provided by a native mobile app. lrys empowers and promotes the social, economic, and political inclusion of users across all of our platforms.

Results:

Since the R-2-R app was implemented, thousands of tires have been reported, successfully collected, and recycled. More than 46,000 tires have been collected and properly disposed of through the “Road to Recycling” Regional Tire Collection Project, leading to a safer and cleaner environment for all residents in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.