UK parliament to debate UK export of used tyres

Debate requires a government response to industry concerns highlighted by recent BBC documentary

(Photo: Tyre Recovery Association)

The UK parliament will debate the issue of used tyre exports next week (11:00, Tuesday 29 April) in a move welcomed by the Tyre Recovery Association. The case for making used tyres harder to export is strong: in India, the destination for many UK-generated used tyres, they prove to be highly polluted, while the removal of this potentially valuable resource from the national circular economy diminishes energy and material recovery opportunities for UK businesses. The Westminster Hall debate was secured by Tessa Munt, the MP for Wells and Mendip Hills. It comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of the sector following the BBC’s File on 4 documentary, The Tyre Scandal, which exposed the damage caused by UK waste tyres being burnt in India.

The BBC and Source Material investigation evidenced the consequences of the current exporting of UK waste and the failures of the current waste regulatory regime. The programme’s findings unequivocally validate the TRA’s long standing campaign for reform, in particular the end of the T8 exemption and a shred only export protocol. The TRA would like to see robust regulatory reform to ensure that ELTs are managed responsibly and idle UK reprocessing capacity is used in order to meet the Government’s policy objective of a zero-waste circular economy.

Peter Taylor OBE, secretary general of the TRA, said: “This Westminster Hall debate is a significant opportunity to hear the Minster respond in person to the realities and challenges we have been highlighting for some time. Tess Munt MP is to be congratulated for securing Tuesday’s debate.

“The evidence is now irrefutable; the current situation is unsustainable, environmentally damaging, and economically short-sighted. We have always wanted to work with the government to see policy reform and to do what is best for the environment and British businesses, action is needed now.

“The upcoming debate requires the government minister to provide a substantive response to the serious concerns raised. Our members expect a clear commitment to action, not a repetition of the defence for the status quo (we’ve repeatedly heard from DEFRA). Ministers can no longer afford to fiddle while tyres burn. The rhetoric must now be matched by concrete action and effective update of UK policy.”

Without action, Britain will be left with the unenviable reputation as the only major European nation legally able to export baled end-of-life tyres to countries like India, according to the TRA