UK tire recyclers back India move to mandate ELT recycling 

Worksop, UK – The UK’s Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has welcomed the Indian government’s effort to draw up an action plan to manage the increasing volumes of end-of-life tires (ELTs) in the country.

The move is a “much-needed response to a growing environmental challenge”, said TRA in a statement.

“Along with its rapidly rising vehicle population, [India’s] waste tire arisings have also been swelling exponentially but so too have imports of old tires from many western countries,” TRA added.

The association said that evidence suggests that some of the imported ELTs have ended up being processed in “illegal or environmentally unsuitable ways.”

TRA expects the new Indian regulations, which are set for progressive implementation starting later this year, to introduce “much-needed recycling compliance”.

In addition, the measures are expected to constrain “often illegal” shipments of tire waste from western countries including the UK.

“Illegal waste export activity involving tires is something we in the UK have long lobbied to end,” said Tim Stott, TRA president.

The illegal export, he pointed out, undermines local operators in the UK by inhibiting further investment in domestic processing capacity.

“Sadly, the UK and most western governments have been slow to act to restrain this trade.

“But now [We] are pleased to note that India itself as Asia’s largest importer of waste tires is now doing so.”

At the end of 2021, India published a draft of its updated extended producer responsibility act which proposes tighter restrictions on imports.

The regulation will require all new tire manufacturers and importers as well as recyclers and reprocessors to register to be permitted for activities.

In addition, ELT imports intended for certain types of reprocessing, including pyrolysis, will be prohibited.

The new regulations are expected to enter progressively into force later this year and support a 100% recovery obligation on the tire industry over a three-year period.