A new survey on car and motorcycle tyre recycling has shown that 97% of tyres produced in 2018 were recycled.
I received the findings as Minister of State in the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, which is running the scheme..
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.