TRA warns UK circular economy ‘unachievable’ amid low tire export compliance

London – The UK risks undermining its circular economy ambitions as compliance with new waste tire export rules remain significantly low, the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) warned on 20 April.

Citing Environment Agency data, TRA said just 54 out of 4,189 waste tire shipments recorded since 1 Oct 2025 were accompanied by correctly completed post-shipment forms, representing a compliance rate of only 1.3%.

The association said the figures show the enhanced verification measures introduced last year are being “systematically ignored” by exporters.

According to TRA, the majority of the UK’s roughly 300,000 tonnes/year of exported waste tires continue to be sent to “rudimentary and illegal batch pyrolysis plants in India.”

Such ‘failure’, TRA said, will have both environmental and economic impact, as the UK “continues to export the feedstock necessary to power its own circular economy.”

“The Environment Agency’s transparency is very welcome, but the figures are an indictment of those tire export brokers who continue to operate without conscience,” said Peter Taylor, secretary general of the TRA.

“To see a compliance rate of just 1.3% is ultimately depressing, these measures are a long way off having any meaningful impact.”

While waste tire exports continue, TRA said domestic processing capacity remains underutilised.

The country currently has more than 150,000 tonnes of licensed but idle tire processing capacity, according to TRA.

“New measures need to be introduced so that Environment Agency can fulfil their statutory duty,” said Tylor.

Shredded waste tire, he said, “is the only immediate route to a circular economy and sustainable future for British operators.”

Taylor said the UK should mandate that tires must be mechanically processed into shred before they leave the shores.

“[Otherwise,] We will continue to fuel pollution abroad while our domestic recycling assets wither,” he added.

Shredded tires can serve as a key feedstock for applications including sustainable aviation fuel production, advanced continuous pyrolysis, recovered carbon black and rubberised asphalt.

“Our neighbours and competitors are realising the opportunity from secondary materials,” Taylor said.

“We continue to export the UK’s future in the back of shipping containers, while the rest of the world builds a circular economy,” he concluded.