New body to promote tyre recycling initiatives

The Australian tyre industry has unveiled a new body, Tyre Stewardship Australia, to improve Australia's track record in tyre recycling

Australia has taken a significant stride forward in the sustainable use of recycled tyres, thanks to a new voluntary, tyre-industry-led initiative.

The Federal Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt (pictured), recently joined with tyre industry leaders to announce the formation of Tyre Stewardship Australia and the Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme, to minimise the potentially harmful environmental impact posed by used tyres.

It is estimated that around 48 million tyres are disposed of in Australia each year, with only 16 per cent presently being recycled. Although the bulk of those tyres are from passenger cars, truck tyres also form a significant slice of the total.

The new body and the national Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme will explore the potential for new industries and products that can use recycled tyres, and will also look at methods of improving used tyre collection and the reduction of unsustainable tyre disposal practices.

The majority of Australia’s used tyres are presently used in landfill, exported overseas or simply stockpiled, while illegal dumping is also common. Both dumping and stockpiling attract health and environmental concerns, and can pose a significant fire hazard.

According to the Chairman of Tyre Stewardship Australia, Gerry Morvell, much work is required to improve Australia’s tyre recycling record in relation to other developed nations.

“Australia only recycles around 16 per cent of its end-of-life tyres compared with 43 per cent in Europe and 32 per cent in the US,” he said.

“This scheme will provide a framework to effectively reduce the environmental, health and safety impacts of the 48 million tyres which reach the end of their life in Australia each year. It gives the Australian tyre industry the opportunity to show strong environmental and product stewardship leadership.”

In addition to reducing harmful practices like dumping, the scheme will investigate the many uses and products to which recycled tyres can be applied, such as road surfacing, brake pads, industrial and commercial flooring and soft-fall playground surfacing, among others.

New body to promote tyre recycling initiatives

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