WRAP to Launch Tyre Crumb Quality Protocol

According to Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the publication of a new Quality Protocol (QP) and certification scheme will help to drive the market for rubber crumb and shred derived from used tyres. Mervyn Jones, joint project executive and head of manufacturing at WRAP told Tyres & Accessories the Quality Protocol will assure material quality and encourage sector growth. However, the practical basis for this expansion is not clear and there are question marks over how much this will cost businesses and ultimately end users. Transport Research Laboratory will operate the tyres QP certification process.

Mervyn Jones believes this growth will be driven by the introduction of a new voluntary QP and certification scheme planned for November 2009, by the Waste Protocols project – a joint WRAP and Environment Agency initiative. The QP follows on from a publicly available specification document (PAS 107) published in 2007. Developed by WRAP and the British Standards Institute (BSI), PAS 107 helps manufacturers of tyre-derived rubber crumb and shred to ensure their products adhere to specified quality standards.

According to Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the publication of a new Quality Protocol (QP) and certification scheme will help to drive the market for rubber crumb and shred derived from used tyres. Mervyn Jones, joint project executive and head of manufacturing at WRAP told Tyres & Accessories the Quality Protocol will assure material quality and encourage sector growth. However, the practical basis for this expansion is not clear and there are question marks over how much this will cost businesses and ultimately end users. Transport Research Laboratory will operate the tyres QP certification process.

Mervyn Jones believes this growth will be driven by the introduction of a new voluntary QP and certification scheme planned for November 2009, by the Waste Protocols project – a joint WRAP and Environment Agency initiative. The QP follows on from a publicly available specification document (PAS 107) published in 2007. Developed by WRAP and the British Standards Institute (BSI), PAS 107 helps manufacturers of tyre-derived rubber crumb and shred to ensure their products adhere to specified quality standards.

Peter Taylor, Tyre Recovery Association secretary general, explained: “Anything that adds clarity to the market and gives product status to what would otherwise remain classed as waste is to be welcomed. I hope it will be deliverable with a modest cost both in terms of finances and manpower.”

It is estimated that nearly 500,000 tonnes of post consumer tyres enter the UK waste stream each year, according to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (formerly the Department of Trade and Industry). Since the disposal of tyres to landfill was banned by the EU directive in 2006, the demand has increased for reprocessing these tyres for a variety of applications such as landfill engineering and sports surfaces. However, there is still scope for further market growth.

As far as WRAP is concerned, for used tyre reprocessors, the business benefits of complying with the new voluntary QP and receiving certification are “considerable” and are linked largely to client demands. With the QP in place, purchasers of tyre derived rubber crumb and shred – from industries as diverse as civil engineering to sports and leisure surface manufacturing – will no longer be required to apply for waste permits and exemptions. This reduces both their costs and administrative burden, two areas believed to be barriers to increased use. Removing these barriers will help to encourage growth across the sector – it has been estimated that an increase in sales of just 3 per cent could increase market value by more than £23 million over the next 10 years – and increase demand for tyre-derived rubber crumb and shred from post-consumer tyre reprocessors. However, with all these player already well regulated and most buyers already knowing the quality of their suppliers’ products well, some question whether these figures can materialise in practical terms.

Feedback from the industry has been positive with tyre recyclers recognising that the introduction of the QP will also raise awareness of how secondary materials can be used as like-for-like, fit-for-purpose replacements for natural or primary alternatives. For example, Barry Stocker, commercial manager at Murfitts Industries and president of the Tyre Recovery Association, commented: “This Quality Protocol and the certification scheme will cut a lot of unnecessary red tape for tyre-derived rubber purchasers, a move that can only be good for suppliers.”

“With synthetic rubber alternatives being significantly more expensive than the tyre-derived rubber products, the business case becomes still stronger and compliant producers have a powerful set of marketing messages at their disposal. Complying with PAS 107 means we’ve been able to assure businesses purchasing our rubber crumb and shred that it is of consistent quality, and this new development will give even greater confidence in the standard of materials from compliant recyclers.”