New Zealand to research tyre recycling options

New Zealand’s Ministry for the Environment has pledged NZ$135,000 (£70,000) to fund research into tyre recycling options. Environment minister Nick Smith announced on 14 March that the money will go to the Product Stewardship Foundation, who will utilise it through Tyrewise, a product stewardship programme it has established. The grant covers 79 per cent of the costs the Tyrewise project will incur and is payable upon the completion of seven milestones that culminate in readying a recycling scheme for launch.

“This funding will be used by the foundation to work with tyre industry importers and retailers to identify the best way for New Zealand to recycle and re-use our used tyres,” explained Dr Smith. “We have a significant environmental problem in New Zealand with the disposal of about four million tyres annually at the end of their useful life. 85 per cent of those tyres end up in landfills where they leach contaminates that pose a long term risk to the environment. We need to find economic ways in which these used tyres can be put to better use.”

“This project is about trying to find a cost effective and more environmentally friendly solution to tyre waste,” Smith continued. “Possibilities include processing the tyres for road surfacing products, converting them into floor tiles, useable fuels and recycling the steel. Many countries have product stewardship schemes that enable a high proportion of used tyres to be recycled into alternative products. I am open minded about using the Waste Minimisation Act powers to declare a priority product to enable such a scheme to operate here. This project is about working with industry to see whether a cost-effective solution can be found.”

Graeme Norton, executive director of the Product Stewardship Foundation, said that efforts aimed at bringing together industry stakeholders and supporters under the umbrella of the Product Stewardship Foundation have been underway for over a year now. “In a relatively short time we have been able to gain serious commitment from key players in the motor vehicle industry here in New Zealand,” he commented. “This includes companies and organisations representing tyre importers and suppliers, new and used car importers, motor services, and motorists as well as local government. The level and breadth of commitment across the industry shows that they see this as a serious issue to be addressed. The announcement of funding from the Ministry for Environment and their continued desire to be involved in the development process simply reinforces this view.”

A number of major stakeholders, including Bridgestone and Goodyear Dunlop, have already indicated they will participate in a working group set up by Tyrewise to develop a stewardship programme for end of life tyres. According to the foundation, the $135,000 will allow the working group to identify a range of feasible product stewardship options for ELT in order to improve future environmental, economic and social outcomes. “Once the group has identified likely costs and benefits of these options, it will then identify the option preferred by the majority of stakeholders and partners,” said Norton.

“There will also be consultation with other parties and stakeholders outside the working group,” he added. “The final stage will then be to come up with a framework to implement this preferred option, including a business plan and of course documentation for an application for accreditation of a nationwide product stewardship scheme under the Waste Minimisation Act.”

The New Zealand government says it expects to receive the report detailing options by April 2013.