The Irish government is consulting on draft regulations until April 26, which will establish a clear audit system to track the movement of waste tyres from the time they are discarded until they either reused or processed for recycling or reuse.
” The tyre industry's voluntary initiative will ensure that there are adequate systems in place to verify that such waste is collected and recycled to the greatest extent possible “
– Irish environment minister Dick Roche
The regulations come because there is currently very little information available about what is happening to waste tyres in Ireland – and concerns that large numbers of them are being dealt with illegally.
Around 35,000 tonnes of waste tyres arise in the Republic each year, and under the European Landfill Directive, whole tyres have been banned from landfill since July 2003, while shredded tyres were banned from July 2006.
The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers' Association said Ireland was recovering just 15% of its waste tyres in 2004, with around 3,000 tonnes re-used or exported and a similar tonnage recycled into usable material but the remainder going either to landfill or to unknown disposal avenues.
Unveiling the draft regulations this month, Ireland's minister for the environment, Dick Roche, said: “It is imperative that waste tyres are not subject to unauthorised burning, uncontrolled disposal or the formation of indiscriminate stockpiles.
“These practices are not acceptable as they can cause nuisance, pose both environmental and health hazards and infringe waste and other environmental legislation,” he said.
Regulations
The new producer responsibility regulations have been developed through discussions with the tyre industry through the Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA).
Manufacturers, retreaders, remoulders and importers will be required to provide details of quantities of tyres placed on the market each year.
Wholesalers and retailers will be allowed to use only authorised waste collectors to take away waste tyres, and will have to provide details of tyres taken back and transferred to authorized collectors.
Authorised waste collectors will be required to report the quantities of tyres taken, and will be required to acquire “Certificates of Recovery” from recyclers, retreaders, remoulders or any other recovery operators to show that tyres have been dealt with properly.
Any organisation wishing to use waste tyres will have to source them from an authorised waste collector.
The Irish government said any tyre company that takes part in the ITIA's established voluntary producer responsibility scheme will be exempt from the new legislation.
Mr Roche said: “The tyre industry's voluntary initiative will ensure that there are adequate systems in place to verify that such waste is collected and recycled to the greatest extent possible.”
| Related links: |
As well as recycling and re-use operations, the minister said farming has been identified as a beneficial use of waste tyres, and so farmers will be allowed to use a limited amount of tyres without the need for a waste permit.
The government has consulted with the the Irish Farmers Association and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) to develop an approach for agriculture within the regulations.
Subscribe for free