Tyred & Wasted:
Australia's illegal 
tyre dumping 
crisis

We are Australia’s tyre product steward, established by industry in 2014 as a not-for-profit company to implement the national and voluntary Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme and promote the development of viable markets for end-of-life tyres in Australia.

We are overseen by a Board that is accountable to a governance framework which includes:

• Australian Competition & Consumer Commission Authorisation
• Australian Government National Waste Policy 2018
• Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 (RAWR Act)
• The TSA Constitution
• Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme Guidelines

For more information about Tyre Stewardship Australia see WHAT WE DO and WHO WE ARE.

Product stewardship is a system of processes which everyone involved in the lifecycle and after-life of a product can use to take responsibility for that product and minimise its environmental and social impact.

It promotes and supports sustainable practices by all those involved in the product supply chain from creation, distribution and consumption to collection and recycling. For tyres, this includes manufacturers, importers, retailers, vehicle drivers, collectors, recyclers and regulators.

By supporting sustainable practices, such as designing-out waste and pollution, prolonging the life and value of products and maximising the use of recycled materials it creates a pathway to all the benefits of a circular economy.

For more information about product stewardship, go to the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence.

A circular economy is a proven economic model for the reduction and management of waste streams, such as used tyres, that views waste as a valuable source of materials which can be manufactured into new products.

There are few waste streams as valuable and versatile as used tyres which can be processed into crumb, shred, granules, steel and even fuel substitute which, in turn, can be used to build strong and resilient products such as:

• roads
• pavements
• playgrounds
• sporting grounds
• building materials such e.g. flooring and particle board

A circular economy for tyres will help us reduce used-tyre waste and its inherent environmental and social risks, and convert that waste and risk into economic value for industry, government and consumers through opportunities for:

• commercial enterprise
• technological innovation
• Australian-made manufacturing
• jobs, particularly in regional, rural and remote communities

For more information about circular economies, go to the Australian Circular Economy Hub.

The Scheme is an industry-led, voluntary framework, authorised by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) and managed by TSA under the Commonwealth Recycling and Waste Reduction (RAWR) Act 2020.

It is designed to promote and support shared responsibility for the long-term management of used tyres to reduce their environmental, health and safety impacts in Australia, such as stockpiling and illegal dumping.

It is funded by auto and tyre brands who pay a voluntary levy for every tyre they import in to the Australian market. The levy is used to cover the costs of running the Scheme and research & development into finding markets and solutions for Australia’s waste tyre burden.

For more information about the Scheme and who contributes, click here. 

Participation, through accreditation, is open to industry operators in the tyre supply chain – including fleet operators, local government, miners, recyclers, retailers, tyre & vehicle manufacturers, and waste collectors – who are prepared to commit to responsible management of end-of-life tyres.

For more information on how to apply for accreditation, click here. 

Through TSA, tyre supply chain operators that manage used tyres responsibly can become an accredited participant in the Australian Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme. 

This means they become part of a trusted network that:

• shows consumers they can trust that their used tyres will be recycled responsibly and go to productive use not waste
• reduces the environmental, social and economic risks of tyres going to waste through landfill, illegal stockpiles and dumping in their local community
• helps deter rogue operators in their local community
• supports Australian recyclers and manufacturers to produce tyre derived material which can be used to build better roads, sporting fields and many other surfaces and products
• helps avoid the risk of greenwashing
• benefits from point-of-sale promotions and consumer education

For more information on the benefits of the Scheme for your industry or sector, click here. 

TSA has a robust monitoring system that includes:

• A clear set of standards for accredited participants
• Regular audits of accredited participants
• Periodic review and assessments

For more information, see the Scheme Guidelines.

Used tyres can be processed into a range of tyre-derived materials such as:

• crumb
• fuel substitute
• granules
• shred
• steel 

These materials can then be used to build strong and resilient products such as:

• roads
• pavements
• playgrounds
• sporting grounds
• building materials (e.g. flooring and particle board)

For examples of productive uses for recycled tyres, see our Case Studies or use our Source Recycled Products tool.

There is no doubt that 66% recovery is a commendable achievement of Australia’s used tyre collectors and recyclers.

However, the majority of used tyres recovered are passenger tyres, as opposed to more high-value off-the-road tyres generated by mining and agriculture in regional, rural and remote communities.

In addition, tyres not recovered continue to be disposed of:

• in licensed landfills and onsite burial which, though legal, is still a waste of valuable resources and land; and
• illegally, in stockpiles and dump sites which only grow over time hidden in warehouses, on industrial sites, unsuspecting landowners’ properties, even national parks.

The number of tyres not recovered and disposed of in these ways will only grow over time, as will associated risks such as mosquito-borne diseases, toxic fires, and contamination of our built and natural environments.

This is not sustainable. Australia must work towards 100% recovery of all types of used tyres (and it is possible through a circular economy), as the environmental and social risks will only increase, countless economic opportunities will be lost and the legacy of waste for future generations will become insurmountable.

Source: 23/24 TSA Tyre Consumption & Recovery Factsheet