TSA calls for legislative change to end mining tyre burial

The opening of Tyrecycle’s new dedicated OTR tyre recycling facility in Port Hedland marks a significant step forward for Australia’s resource recovery industry.

Using advanced processing equipment, the plant can transform enormous mining tyres into rubber granules for use in manufacturing and infrastructure. In its first year of operation, the site has already diverted around 1,500 tonnes of tyres from burial, with capacity to handle up to 30,000 tonnes annually.

TSA CEO Lina Goodman has acknowledged the quality of these new investments, describing them as “some of the world’s best tyre recycling facilities”. But despite this capability, the vast majority of mining tyres are still being buried legally in pit. 

TSA's 5-year benchmark report, the Material Flow Analysis, states that only 5% of mining tyres in Australia are recovered — with more than 100,000 tonnes every year still ending up buried underground.

Outdated regulation is the roadblock

The challenge is not infrastructure or technology. It is regulation that continues to permit pit burial, even where recycling solutions exist. This means there is no incentive for mining companies to send tyres to recyclers instead of simply burying them.

As Ms Goodman told ABC News:

“The frustrating part around mining tyres being buried in a pit — it’s out of sight, out of mind. We’ve got infrastructure and recyclers who have invested to meet the needs to create products and it’s just not being met by the other parties.”

This disconnect between investment and regulation means world-class facilities are ready to recycle — but without a consistent supply of used mining tyres, they cannot deliver on their potential.

On ABC Perth Radio: TSA reinforces the call

The issue was in the spotlight again on 16 September 2025, when Goodman joined Mark Gibson on ABC Perth Morning Radio to discuss the urgent need for change.

In the interview, she praised the investment but warned of the risk of underutilised infrastructure and wasted valuable resources if legislation does not shift:

“It feels like one hand clapping — we’ve built the facilities, but without legislative change, the tyres keep being buried.”

“My fear is that one of them is going to be mothballed — or all of them — if government doesn’t change the regulation that gives them the permission to bury.”

The host summed up the conversation by highlighting the core issue: “The main crux of all that is that legislative change is needed so these enormous tyres don’t just end up buried somewhere underground.”

The urgency is real

Millions of taxpayer dollars have already been invested in building world-class recycling facilities. But unless legislation changes, these plants risk being underused while valuable natural rubber is wasted.

It’s time for the government to act now — support recycling, protect taxpayer investment and end mining tyre burial for good.
 

See more:

• ABC article: Recyclers aim to stop 30,000 tonnes of mining tyres being buried every year
• TSA OTR recovery report: Tipping the Balance
• Analysis of the material circularity of OTR tyres and conveyor belts