The operation is expected to take 10 days with the tyres being taken to Paul James Tyres in Islip, Northamptonshire, to be shredded and turned into rubber crumb for mats or horse bedding.
The cost of the operation will be shared between the Agency and the landowner at Poplars Farm, near Pershore. The farm had previously seen 20,000 tyres removed at a cost of 22,000, which was met by the landowner alone.
Charles Tucker, an environment team leader involved in the investigation and prosecution, said: “The Agency has no duty to remove these tyres, but we are doing so now because of the risk of environmental harm. By removing them ourselves we can make sure that they are recycled and put to a beneficial use, not simply dumped at a landfill site. We aim to recover the costs from those responsible.”
The 38,000 tyres were left at the farm over a two week period by operators claiming to be a legitimate tyre collection and reprocessing company. After two weeks, the company did not pay the rent to the landowner and the operation was abandoned. Tyres filled one building and had also been dumped in hedgerows around the farm at great risk to human and environmental health.
Successful prosecutions of two individuals were completed last year. One was fined 1,250 by Worcester Magistrates’ court and the other was given 200 hours community service at Worcester Crown court. Both were ordered to pay costs and the latter was ordered to pay some 5,000 compensation to the landowner.
Waste tyres are a huge problem in the UK with around 50 million being produced in the UK each year and more than 20 million tyres currently sitting in semi-permanent dumps. It costs emergency services 500,000 per year to deal with tyre fires, according to the Environment Agency.
Currently, about 63% of the UK’s waste tyres are recovered or recycled, but from July 2003 whole tyres cannot be sent to landfill, and from July 2006 shredded tyres will be subject to a landfill ban as well (see letsrecycle.com legislation section).
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