The final version of a quality protocol which aims to help tyre reprocessors market the crumb and shred they produce has been jointly published by the Environment Agency (EA) and Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

The 'Quality Protocol for Tyre-derived Rubber Materials', which was issued yesterday (November 3) after being signed off by the European Commission, will allow rubber materials derived from waste tyres to be clearly classified as a product and not a waste, therefore freeing them from waste regulation.

Up to 500,000 tonnes of tyres enter the UK waste stream every year

As a result it aims to make it easier for customers to identify quality tyre-derived rubber crumb and shred, which can be used in products such as flooring, road surfacing material, aggregates and footwear.

Martin Brocklehurst, joint Quality Protocol Project executive and the EA's head of environment protection external programmes, stressed that the Protocol had been develop based on evidence from a "robust" risk assessment.

And, he added: "When the quality protocol for tyre-derived rubber is introduced it will prove to be good for business and for the environment."

Certification

To accompany the launch of the protocol by the joint EA/WRAP-run Waste Protocols Project, a certification scheme has been unveiled which reprocessors of tyre-derived rubber materials can join to demonstrate their recovered product meets the standards of the protocol.

Anyone who successfully receives certification under the scheme, which is being run by transport experts the Transport Research Laboratory and is set to go live in early in 2010, will be placed on a publicly-available online register.

WRAP and EA claim that, in conjunction with the Protocol itself and the PAS 107 standard for recycled tyre materials, the certification system will boost end users' confidence in the products they are purchasing.

Mervyn Jones, WRAP's head of manufacturing who is also joint executive of the Quality Protocol Project, said: "With virgin rubber generally significantly more expensive than tyre-derived rubber, this increased confidence will help industry recycle more of the 500,000 tonnes of used tyres entering the waste stream in the UK every year.

"Estimates suggest that the additional market value that could be realised through the introduction of this latest Quality Protocol could be between £7 million and £23 million over 10 years," he added.

Protocols project

Tyre-derived rubber is the latest material to have a final Quality Protocol issued by the Waste Protocols Project, following on from anaerobic digestate, where a final document was issued in September 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Full protocols have also been finalised and signed off by the European Commission for materials such as compost, flat glass and biodiesel derived from waste cooking oil and rendered animal fat.

A protocol for gypsum from waste plasterboard was sent for final approval by the European Commission in May 2009 - a process which is expected to take between three and six months.

And, in June 2009, WRAP and the EA said they would also look at four more materials for potential Quality Protocols during 2009/10 and 2010/11 (see letsrecycle.com story).