A new survey on car and motorcycle tyre recycling has shown that 97% of tyres produced in 2018 were recycled.
Welcoming the findings of a review into the first year of the Tyre Disposal Scheme, Galway East TD and Minister of State in the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment Seán Canney said: “These are very impressive results. Of 3.8 million tyres produced last year, 97% were recycled, with 31,000 tonnes of waste tyres recovered.
“It is essential that waste tyres are disposed of correctly. Not only are tyres not biodegradable, but they are also a potential fire hazard.
“The scheme was established because of the amount of illegal waste tyre dumping. The first review shows that it has been a success and we are now looking at extending the scheme to trucks and tractors. Better management of waste is crucial to tackling Climate Change.
“Last year we also saw very positive results from a €700,000 scheme for the collection of farm tyres, which saw four collection points set up around the country, including one at Athenry.”
Recycled tyres can be put to a variety of uses, including for playgrounds, football pitches, gardens and equestrian arenas.

Notes to the Editor

New structures for tyres and waste tyres were introduced on 1st October 2017 to address the chronic problem of waste tyres in Ireland. These new structures were given effect by the Waste Management (Tyres and Waste Tyres) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 400 of 2017).

The scheme is operated by Repak ELT, with a registration and reporting role for the Producer Register Limited (PRL). All tyre producers and retailers are statutorily obliged to be members of the scheme.
In establishing the scheme, it was agreed that a review of the data flow and scheme operation would be undertaken at 6 and 12 months after its introduction. The scheme was kept under close review for the initial six months and three amendments were carried out to the Regulations. The Department engaged an independent body, RPS Group, to carry out a review of year 1 of the operation of the scheme. The completed review is now available to view or download on the Department’s website.

EPA
The EPA is responsible for enforcement of the Tyres Regulations which relates to functions and powers of the Registration Body and the obligations of tyre producers.
A nationwide campaign of tyre producer enforcement was carried out in 2018. 69 enforcement visits were carried out at tyre producer premises countrywide. 60 of these visits related to Display of PRL (Producer Register Limited) registration number on sales documentation. 9 visits related to producer registration.
In addition, 98 enforcement notices were issued. These notices can be broken down as follows:

• 56 initial notifications of non-compliance.
• 26 second notifications of non-response.
• 16 final warning letters.

According to the EPA, by the end of 2018, only 2 of 355 producers identified nationwide remained unregistered.

Local Authorities
Prior to the introduction of the regulations road-shows were held across the country to raise awareness of retailer and producer obligations under the new Regulations. In line with the new Regulations the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) developed a Tyre Information Pack, with standardised letter templates and inspection forms. Local authorities were requested to write to all retailers in their functional area, using the standard letter template. The letter detailed retailer obligations under the Regulations.

For more information, contact Minister Canney on 086-2513639
November 25 2019