NTDA Defends Retailer “Green Fee”
With talk of a tyre collection and recycling “crisis” in the air and with some sources pointing the finger at the retail business, the NTDA has responded by defending the so-called green fee charged by distributors. The association, which represents tyre retails and distributors, also released new survey results pointing to a slight decline in the incidence of tyre fly tipping.
In answer to accusations that some in the retail trade are profiteering from the green fee (widely accepted to be around £1.50/tyre), the recent NTDA e-zine pointed out that the process can be more costly than retailers are given credit for. Summarising the accusation against retailers and then countering it, the association wrote: “The retailer charges the motorist £1 (or maybe more) as an environmental/disposal charge. He then pays his collector 50p – ergo, he is making 50p profit. QED. Except that he isn't. If the tyre were to be removed and left where it was until the collector came and picked it up, there would be some truth in this, but if the retailer is to comply with legislation, things are a bit more complicated – and costly.”