Australia and New Zealand Unite to Launch Trans-Tasman Tyre Recycling Alliance

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) and Tyrewise New Zealand (Tyrewise) today announced the formation of the Trans-Tasman Tyre Recycling Alliance (TTRA), a groundbreaking regional body dedicated to advancing circular economy outcomes for end-of-life tyres across Australia and New Zealand.

Jointly funded by TSA and Tyrewise, the alliance will operate as an independent entity, while both founding organisations maintain their separate national schemes. TTRA’s mission is to foster regional collaboration, drive innovation, facilitate knowledge exchange, and elevate industry standards initially across the Tasman region, with plans to expand engagement to our pacific neighbours in the near future.

The announcement follows the successful inaugural Round Trip Summit held in Melbourne recently, which brought together over 200 industry leaders, manufacturers, recyclers, researchers, policymakers and technology providers from around the globe. 

Formalising Regional Collaboration

Australia and New Zealand collectively generate over 600,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres annually. While both countries face challenges around technology adoption, market development, and regulatory frameworks, they operate in different market dynamics and scale. New Zealand has limited end markets for tyre-derived materials and is looking to learn from Australia's more established downstream applications, while Australia can draw insights from New Zealand's experience with implementing a regulated mandatory scheme.

Lina Goodman, CEO of Tyre Stewardship Australia, emphasised the strategic importance of the partnership:  "We must work together across borders to unlock the full potential of circular tyre recovery and build resilience against global market disruptions. Through TTRA, we can get ahead of risks, capitalise on opportunities, and accelerate the development of local markets for tyre-derived materials.”

Adele Rose, CEO of 3R Group which manages New Zealand’s Tyrewise scheme, noted: "Tyrewise has demonstrated how quickly a regulated system can deliver high collection rates and meaningful recovery outcomes. Through TTRA, we can not only share our learnings but can also be the incubator for new technology that demonstrates how a regulated well-supported scheme can foster greater circular outcomes. In addition, this assists us to support our close pacific neighbours who receive new and used tyres from our respective countries, often without the resources to manage those tyres when they become end of life.”

Recent research has highlighted the urgency of action. TSA's Material Flow Analysis reveals that Australia is only recycling 30,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres locally, losing over $50 million annually in resource value from off-the-road (OTR) tyres alone. Meanwhile, 40% of end-of-life tyres in Australia and the vast majority in New Zealand are used for energy recovery rather than being recovered as valuable materials domestically.

Shared Vision for Higher-Value Recovery

The new alliance will prioritise initiatives that involve higher-order material applications, including crumb rubber in roads, advanced manufacturing, and innovative product development.

The five strategic focus areas of TTRA will include:

1. Technology and Innovation: Showcasing global best practices and facilitating connections between technology providers and end users.
2. Market Development: Supporting demand creation for high-value tyre-derived products in infrastructure, manufacturing, and construction.
3. Policy Advocacy: Advancing circular economy frameworks, procurement standards, and regulatory reform across both countries.
4. Knowledge Sharing: Creating forums for industry collaboration and evidence-based decision making.
5. Regional Voice: Australia and New Zealand operate in a global market where dynamics can shift rapidly. The TTRA will provide a unified voice for Australasia in international forums, ensuring our region's interests and perspectives are represented in global tyre stewardship discussions.
    

Looking Ahead

The alliance will formally commence operations in early 2026 with governance structures and strategic priorities to be finalised in the coming months. Future activities will include regular industry summits, technical working groups, and collaborative research projects.

TSA, which has operated a voluntary product stewardship scheme for 11 years, and Tyrewise, New Zealand's first regulated product stewardship scheme which began operating in September 2024, will both maintain their independent operations while contributing resources and expertise to the new regional body.

Lina Goodman commented: “The formation of TTRA reflects growing momentum behind product stewardship, circular economy outcomes, and government mandates on recycled content, particularly in infrastructure projects.”

"This is about building resilient, circular economies that support jobs, innovation, and environmental responsibility," said Adele Rose. "The future of tyre recycling in our region depends on the kind of collaboration TTRA represents."

ENDS
 

About Tyre Stewardship Australia

Established in 2014, TSA operates Australia's voluntary National Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme, working to promote the development of viable markets for end-of-life tyres and advance the circular economy for tyre materials.

About Tyrewise New Zealand 

Tyrewise is New Zealand's first regulated product stewardship scheme for end-of-life tyres, launched in September 2023. Managed by 3R Group, Tyrewise is focused on increasing recovery rates and developing markets for tyre-derived materials throughout New Zealand.

Media Contacts:

Fiona Portet, Tyre Stewardship Australia, fiona.portet@tyrestewardship.org.au, +61 478 708 794.

Kiri Speirs, Tyrewise, kiri@tyrewise.co.nz, +64 21 298 4806.