Tyre Stewardship Australia Calls for Urgent Action on ‘Waste Crime’

Illegal dumping of tyres has once again hit the headlines, with more than 500 tyres recently found in the Springbrook National Park on the Gold Coast. Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) CEO Lina Goodman says incidents like this are a clear case of a waste crime — and that only stronger regulation will begin to stop them. 

“This is a waste crime. That’s the only way I can describe it,” Ms Goodman told ABC Gold Coast. “When there are people who think they can make a quick buck collecting tyres from unsuspecting retailers and then dumping them in the national park or on the side of the road, for me, it’s a complete waste crime.” 

Currently, tyre stewardship in Australia is managed through a voluntary scheme — meaning responsible retailers and recyclers are held to higher standards while unregulated operators can undercut them. 

TSA has long advocated for a mandatory national scheme, similar to those operating in New Zealand and Canada, where unregulated operators cannot participate, and tyres are tracked from point of collection to end use. 

“We need the federal government to step in, recognise that councils and state governments are paying significant dollars to clean up dumped tyres, and regulate the collection and processing of tyres to avoid waste crime in the first instance,” Ms Goodman said. 

Research shows the costs to clean up dumped tyres are significantly higher than proper disposal fees. In Queensland, local councils can pay up to $32 per tyre to remove dumped material — four times more than the average $8 charged at point of sale for legal disposal. 

Mandatory regulation, Goodman argues, would not only stop illegal dumping but create stronger markets for tyre-derived products: from longer-lasting roads to gym flooring, permeable pavements, and emerging technology that can turn tyres back into tyres. 

“We’ll be able to take these tyres and transform them into something far more valuable,” Ms Goodman said. 

For more on this story, visit the ABC News website.