The call came this week, a month after both whole and shredded tyres were banned from landfill, (see letsrecycle.com story) prompting concerns that Wales, which has less capacity to deal with used tyres than some parts of the UK, could be “overwhelmed” by the surplus.
 Phil Bradshau, production manager of Maxsport (left), explains the benefits of a retreaded tyre to Richard Carter of the Wales Environment Trust |
The trust predicts a 12,800 tonne shortfall in waste tyre disposal capacity in Wales this year if more is not done to recycle, recover energy from or re-use old tyres as refurbished 'retreads'.
The Trust said: “Although all UK airlines and over 40% of UK-wide commercial vehicles already use retreads as standard procedure, uptake is still slow in Wales.”
Richard Carter, business development executive for the trust, said: “If every commercial vehicle in Wales had retread tyres, it would conserve nearly 7,500 tonnes of material every year, but we need to start now if we are going to solve the problem.”
Maxsport
The Wales Environment Trust works with small and medium sized businesses in Wales to develop local markets for recycled products and reduce waste. It has been working closely with Maxsport, a retread producer in Rhayader, Powys, to educate the public on the environmental benefits of retreads.
The refurbished tyres are created by grinding down the treads of used tyres, covering them in rubber and heating and moulding them to create new treads.
Publicity
Mr Carter said that publicity was crucial to increasing uptake of the tyres. He said: “I think the main reason businesses are reluctant to make the switch to retreads is the incorrect perception that the quality isn’t as good, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.”
He explained: “Retreads are subject to even more stringent safety standards than new tyres, so the quality being produced is very high. The proof is in the fact that all UK airlines use retreads on all their planes and safety is a huge priority for them.”
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Mr Carter said that the environmental benefits of using retreads should be a strong motivating factor for businesses. “Kitting out a vehicle fleet with retreads will help tackle the environmental impact of waste tyres in Wales, which is now a very real concern,” he said.
The business development executive has just changed his tyres to retreads. “I challenge other organisations and businesses to look at their tyre procurement and fleet management policy,” he said. “They should buy the safe option and the best value option.”
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