South Africa to introduce waste tyre levy

South Africa is on the verge of introducing a levy on all tyres manufactured in, or imported into the country in order to finance the creation of a waste tyre collection network. REDISA (Recycling Economic Development Initiative of South Africa) is a government approved scheme to establish a sustainable waste tyre collection infrastructure for South Africa. The financial levy of Rand 2.3 (0.22 Euros) per kilogram of manufactured or imported product, will apply to all tyres, including those fitted to imported equipment, from the beginning of February this year.

This radical initiative is sure to provide a major talking point for visitors and exhibitors at Tyrexpo Africa 2012, which is being held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, between 6-8 March. Indeed, REDISA’s CEO, Hermann Erdmann said of Tyrexpo Africa: “As a meeting place for domestic and international tyre manufacturers, importers and distributors, Tyrexpo Africa is the perfect event to promote and explain our plans.”
He outlined the current situation in South Africa, explaining: “There are an estimated 60 million scrap tyres across South Africa but we have no organised or sustainable infrastructure to collect and dispose of them. Our approach puts the cost where it belongs: if you introduce tyres into the market, you must contribute up front to the cost of the eventual disposal of the tyres.

“The timing of the show could not be better as the scheme will be going live in February and March and our staff will be on hand to explain how it works and who is affected by it,” continued Erdmann. REDISA’s plan aims to create up to 10,000 new jobs in the collection and processing of scrap tyres, which will be funded by the producer levy. Most of these will be in small one and two person businesses and among entrepreneurs, where a national network of collection depots and recyclers will be established. Around 10 million waste tyres are generated each year in South Africa.