Three Arrested Over Illegal Waste Tyre Exports

The Environment Agency reports the January 20 arrest of three men suspected of illegally exporting waste tyres into Vietnam and Hong Kong – destinations to which the export of waste tyres is prohibited. The trio – a 60 year old from Chelmsford, Essex, a 32 year old from Spalding, Lincolnshire and a 61 year old from Swanscombe, Kent – were arrested on suspicion of a number of fraud offences.

Intelligence was gleaned from a number of sources during the Environment Agency’s eight month investigation and on the basis of this the agency participated in a 35 person-strong joint operation with City of London Police, who made the arrests. Officers raided five sites across England to tackle the dumping of tyres in the United Kingdom and abroad.

“The UK produces almost 50 million used tyres every year and it is now illegal to send them to landfill – they should be recycled here in the UK.

“But our intelligence suggests that illegal operators are charging tyre fitters to recycle old tyres here in the UK and then illegally exporting them overseas to avoid the recycling costs. As well as forcing other countries to deal with our waste, this practice also undermines legitimate tyre recycling businesses here in the UK.

“To export tyres that are not UK road legal and are therefore waste, exporters must check that the country of destination will accept waste tyres for recovery and recycling,” stated Environment Agency National Crime Team manager Andy Higham. “The law is clear – it is always illegal to export waste from the UK to be dumped overseas.”

Environment Agency intelligence suggests containers of baled waste tyres were illegally exported into Vietnam and Hong Kong in breach of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007 and the European Waste Shipment Regulations 2006. Agency and police officers seized evidence from the business premises of all three arrested men. Two residential premises were also searched.

“There is a clear message to tyre fitters here: check your waste collection companies carefully. Be suspicious of contractors who offer to take them away for less than 50p a tyre,” Higham continued.

City of London Police senior investigating officer, DCI Dave Clark, added: “This case is a prime example of how police and government organisations such as the Environment Agency are coordinating their efforts to stop people committing fraud. As the Lead Force for fraud we will continue to do everything in our power to support and assist our colleagues to halt this damaging illegal trade.”

The Environment Agency states it is working with the waste recovery and recycling industry to improve compliance with regulations and stop tyres ‘leaking’ from the legitimate system. Forty-nine million used tyres are produced every year in the United Kingdom. Around 25 per cent are deemed suitable for reuse as second-hand tyres, while another six per cent are retreaded. A further 25 per cent are burned for energy by certain industries under strict environmental control. Of the remainder, 34 per cent are recycled into a variety of products while ten per cent are used to engineer landfill lining.