UK set to drop tire waste treatment exemption

London – The UK government is set to remove a waste exemption that allows processing of waste tires without full environmental permit.

In a 15 July announcement, the government said it is dropping the T8 waste exemption for tires in three months’ time, citing fire risks and widespread abuse of the current system.

Under T8, businesses can treat small quantities of waste tires through processes like baling, shredding, peeling, shaving, or granulating without requiring a full environmental permit.

According to the statement, from mid-October, operators currently using this exemption will need to operate under permits or cease related activities.

“We do not foresee the costs of removing the use of this exemption outweighing the benefits to environmental protection and public safety,” said the government release.

Furthermore, the government expects to see increased compliance for those that move into the permitting regime.

The move will also reduce criminal activity associated with the misuse of the exemption and will benefit legitimate operators, it said.

“Given the fire risk from the storage of tires, and evidence that exemption limits are being exceeded by significant amounts, we have decided to remove the T8 exemption,” the department of environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) said in a policy paper.

Legitimate recyclers, led by Tyre Recovery Association (TRA), have long raised concerns over the misuse of T8 exemption and called for its removal. (ERJ report)