This autumn could bring with it a new rash of tyre dumping and site abandonment warns Britain’s Tyre Recovery Association (TRA). The association has warned that there are several factors of which the public, our regulators and the tyre trade should be aware. The TRA’s latest comments follow a previous warning that market conditions were likely to have such consequences earlier in the year.
On 3 July 2020 the UK government issued advice on the port-side storage of tyre shred via a time-limited Environment Agency Regulatory Position Statement (RPS 238). RPS 238 was updated on 15 September 2020 and lasts until 30 June 2021.
Tyre Recovery Association members have called a new proposal to ban the use of tyre-derived rubber infill in sports surfaces as “incomprehensible and counter-intuitive”. The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) wants to ban the reuse of materials containing ‘intentionally added’ microplastics such as tyres from 2028. The TRA estimates that in the course of their service lives, car tyres alone shed some half a million tonnes of micronized rubber annually across the continent of Europe.
The Tyre Recovery Association is urging the Environment Agency to be more vigilant about stockpiling waste tyres. The association is concerned that the current relaxation of stockpile permitting rules could lead to operators storing more waste tyres than they can handle. With recycling gate prices high and cashflow under enormous pressure, the temptation to accept unrealistic collection price offers is great. However, if the collector is unable to process waste tyres as a result, abandoned waste tyre stockpiles could become “an ugly and very expensive problem”, which could prove damaging to the reputation of the tyre business as a whole.
Tighter waste recovery practices in India will drive “a big increase in recovery costs across Europe and beyond”, according to industry body the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA). Together with similar moves in some other SE Asian countries, the TRA warns vehicle dismantlers and tyre retailers that disposal costs could “as much as double” in the coming weeks and months.
The 2019 TRA annual forum day attracted record numbers of delegates to its annual day conference held at the Ardencote Manor Hotel on Tuesday 18 June. Numerous topics were covered during the day, but the TRA’s calls for government support in pursuit of its goals; details of the association’s recent tag technology trial details; and the launch of a tyre recovery industry-specific Fire Prevention Plan stood out. More than 90 delegates were in attendance.
Following four years of consultation, the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has published its tyre industry specific Fire Prevention Plan (FPP). Having worked alongside the Environment Agency (EA) to address the need to store a diverse range of materials in various grades, each with differing combustibility, burn rates and fire risk, across widely differing sites, the TRA’s FPP will meet the objectives of the Environment Agency Fire Prevention Plan Guidance Version 3. Specifically, this means: Preventing a fire; Extinguishing of a fire; and minimising the impact of a fire. The industry-specific Fire Prevention Plan was launched by Peter Buckley, senior fire advisor, Environment Agency.
Peter Taylor OBE, secretary general of the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA), has been elected vice president of the European Tyre Recycling Association (ETRA) nine-member board. The board, comprised of nine members, oversees the formation and execution of ETRA’s strategic priorities and focus areas. Taylor is the only UK representative on the board.
The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has announced its Recycling Day Forum will be held on 18 June 2019 at the Ardencote Manor Hotel, Warwick. The theme for this year’s event is ‘2020 and Beyond’ with guests from Europe and from the UK discussing the direction of tyre recycling in the future.
The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has responded to an assertion by the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) that “some discussions seem to have recently kicked-off in the UK to study the feasibility of introducing an EPR [extended producer responsibility] regime” following an enquiry by Tyres & Accessories. The TRA states that there have been “no discussions at Federation level” looking into a similar collective scheme approved by national authorities to that implemented by 23 European countries. It adds that it will seek clarification from the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. The 2 May statement accompanied an ETRMA report on the collection and treatment of tyres in European markets.
The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has announced the introduction of its Responsible Part Worn Tyre programme (RPWTP) at its 2018 forum day at the Belfry Hotel in Wishaw. The programme, introduced and strongly endorsed by Stefan Hay, chief executive of the National Tyre Distributors’ Association (NTDA) at the event, was detailed by Alan Bithell. The RPWTP has been designed with the purpose of raising standards of professionalism in retailers selling part-worn tyres, ensuring all tyres sold by participating retailers are legally compliant.
Measures announced in the Autumn Budget this week to increase the liability of illegal waste site operators have been welcomed by the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA). As of 1 April 2018, sites operating without the relevant environmental disposal permit, and those knowingly facilitating illegal waste disposal, will be liable to pay Landfill Tax and face fines amounting to an additional 100 per cent of the tax’s value. Operators of illegal sites will remain liable to criminal prosecution.
The Tyre Recovery Association has been accepted into membership of the Parliamentary All-Party Sustainable Resource Group (ASPRG), a cross-party group whose main purpose is to help parliamentarians fully engage with waste and sustainable resource policy issues.
According to the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA), the Republic of Ireland’s proposed tyre compliance scheme, which is due to come into effect on 1 October, will “seriously distort end of life tyre recovery and recycling efforts on the island of Ireland with knock-on-effects in the UK as a whole”.
TRA members will lobby their constituency members of parliament in their effort to fight off Environment Agency plans to bring in new storage limits which they say could put many responsible recyclers out of business. The association believes that the proposed new norms which it is claimed will lead to a reduction in waste fires will hit the tyre industry disproportionately.
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