Tyre Stewardship Australia Encourages Local Councils to Drive Awareness of Tyre Export Ban

Tyre Stewardship Australia is asking local councils to watch for illegal dumping, storage or collection of passenger car tyres ahead of the Commonwealth’s waste export ban on all used tyres coming into effect 1 December 2021.

It comes as Tyre Stewardship Australia warned the ban could see unscrupulous operators offering last-minute cheap collections to councils and other organisations involved in the safe disposal of used car tyres ahead of the ban.

Each year, Australia generates 450,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres each year, of which 75 per cent is from passenger cars, buses and trucks. While around 72 per cent go to productive outcomes, the remainder is sent to landfill, buried or stockpiled.

TSA Chief Executive Officer Lina Goodman said: “The elimination of cheaper waste tyre disposal options through the waste export ban will no doubt lead to increased disposal costs as organisations invest for greater local recovery.

“We are hearing concerns from our network of accredited participants of approaches from operators offering to remove waste tyres cheaply – but their intention may not be aligned with sustainable disposal of end-of-life tyres.

“We’re encouraging councils across Australia to keep an eye out for increased illegal dumping or on-site storage of tyres, as well as new ‘pop-up’ collectors that might emerge ahead of the export ban.”

TSA encourages tyre recyclers, collectors and retailers in each municipality to play their part to help reduce the environmental and social harm from end-of-life tyres.

Full press release click here