In the absence of legislation regarding the disposal of end of life tyres, New Zealand’s tyre importers, wholesalers and retailers are free to deal – or not deal – as they please with the more than 5 million tyres demounted from vehicles every year. According to estimates published by the Tyrewise project, some 70 per cent of these tyres end up in landfill. This is why Bridgestone considers the agreement it has signed to collect and recycle waste tyres from its stores throughout the country’s North Island “breakthrough”.