Trade body launches tyre recycling campaign

As part of the trade bodies ‘Responsible Recycling' month, the TRA campaign has been launched to highlight the alternative uses that tyres can go into, such as synthetic sports pitches and playgrounds, as well as its potential as a fuel feedstock in a cement kiln.

The first campaign poster, which was launched to coincide with the kick-off of the Fifa 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, explains how 42,000 used tyres are recycled to create an artificial football pitch.

Peter Taylor, secretary general of the TRA said: “Many motorists do not understand the complex operations and infrastructure that is required to dispose of used tyres in a safe, legal and environmentally sound manner.”

“Consequently, many dealers face resentment from customers when they have to pay a recycling fee. These materials will help the trade explain to customers why the charge is levied, the processes involved and the many uses that the industry has devised for its waste materials.”

The disposal of tyres to landfill has been prohibited in the UK since 2006, which has led to around 45 million tyres annually being recycled and correctly disposed of under the industry's Responsible Recycler Scheme (RRS).

BIR

The move to explain why recycling tyres in necessary comes after the chair of the Bureau of International Recycling's (BIR) tyres committee reported that less than 6% of end-of-life tyres collected in the EU-27 countries in 2008 had ended up in landfill.

Figures from the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers' Association (ETRMA) explained that 5-6% of tyres arising from the 27 European Union countries, Switzerland and Norway ended up in landfill over the course of 2008.

Speaking at the BIR's spring convention in Istanbul earlier this month (June 2), the BIR tyre committee chairman Barend Ten Bruggencate said that used tyres being sent for energy recovery had increased.

Statistics from the ETRMA showed that, of the 29 countries, 37% of the 3.281 million tonnes of used tyres arising in 2008 were sent for energy recovery. This was compared to 39% being sent for material recovery. Mr Ten Bruggencate explained that one tonne of used tyres has the same calorific value as one tonne of coal.

Mr Ten Bruggencate also pointed out that the Basel Convention's guideline on the environmentally sound management of used tyres is currently the focus of a revision which is being closely monitored by BIR.