New tyre recycling initiative hits the road

A new recycling initiative is giving motorists the chance to help the planet when it comes to changing their worn out tyres. Only those tyre retailers who meet a strict set of guidelines and adhere to industry best practice will be able to display the coveted ‘Responsible Retailer’ badge which has just been launched and already has the backing of the influential organisations including Motor Codes, the government backed self-regulatory body for the motor industry, as well as the Independent Garage Association’s ‘Trust My Garage’ scheme and the Environment Agency.

Drivers using a ‘Responsible Retailer’ can have total confidence that the tyres being removed from their vehicle are being dealt with and reprocessed in a legal and environmentally friendly manner.

Mike Wilson, president, Tyre Recovery Association, said: “Historically, drivers didn’t really know what happened to their old tyres once they were removed from their vehicle. However, from now on, if they go to a ‘Responsible Retailer’ they can have the confidence that their tyres are being disposed of legally, and perhaps more importantly, in an environmentally friendly manner as possible.”

In order to earn the ‘Responsible Retailer’ status, garages will be independently audited to ensure the waste tyres they generate are collected by authorised handlers who then dispose of them in the proper manner.

Each year, drivers in the UK generate some 40 million waste car and van tyres which have reached the end of their life. Long gone are the days of dumping them in landfills as has been made illegal since 2006.

The good news, however, is that through the small environmental charge paid by to tyre retailers by drivers changing their tyres, this has resulted in many innovative and different ways to find new uses for waste tyres, including being recycled for carpet underlay, running tracks and artificial sports pitches.

Drivers looking to find the location of their nearest ‘Responsible Retailer’ or more information about tyre recycling can visit www.tyrerecovery.org.uk.