UK tire recycling association warns against operator non-compliance

London – An increasing number of small tire recycling operators are failing to meet legal requirements associated with the size of their business, according to recent surveys by the UK Environment Agency (EA). 

A 2019 inspection of almost 60 sites carried out by the EA across England revealed more than one third of operators were legally non-compliant with the ‘T8 exemptions’ for their recycling businesses, said UK’s Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) in a 28 Oct statement.  

In addition, in a survey of operators in first eight months of 2020, showed that almost 50% of sites visited failed to meet the legal requirements under the ‘T8 exemptions’, which allows the treatment of small amounts of waste end-of-life tires for recovery by baling, shredding, peeling, shaving or granulating.

Under T8, operators are not allowed to treat any other types of waste other than end-of-life tires or shredded/granulated end-of-life tires.

‘This confirms all our worst fears,’ said Peter Taylor, TRA Secretary General.

T8 exemptions, he said, were intended to offer a ‘light’ touch regulating regime under which small businesses could operate but instead it has been "very widely abused."

According to Taylor, in many cases the exemption allowed small players to “flout the law” and enjoy levels of overhead and compliance well below those of fully permitted businesses.  

“We are pleased that government now intends to end this gateway to poor practice,” he added.

The TRA urged all those disposing of end-of-life tires, particularly vehicle dismantlers and tire retailers, to “carefully scrutinise the compliance status of those to whom they pass on their waste.”