The Summary – what it means in practice:
The EU Landfill Directive will ban the disposal of tyres to landfill. In brief, whole tyres will be banned from July 2003 and shredded tyres from July 2006. The ban applies to almost all tyres including car, commercial, motorbike, aircraft, and industrial (including solid tyres).
However, bicycle tyres will not be subject to the ban, nor will tyres above 1.4 metres outside diameter (e.g. larger agricultural and earthmover tyres). In addition, the use of whole tyres in landfill engineering applications will be allowed to continue.
The legislative base and detail:
From the early 1990’s, there were discussions in Europe on the banning of tyres from disposal to landfill, thereby requiring their recovery. The tyre ban was subsequently incorporated in the EU Landfill Directive which was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 16 July 1999 as Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste.
The Directive deals with many waste streams, of which tyres are only one. For tyres, the Directive states in Article 5(3)(d):
“Member States shall take measures in order that the following wastes are not accepted in a landfill:
(d) whole tyres from two years laid down in Article 18(1), excluding tyres used as engineering material, and shredded used tyres five years from the date laid down in Article 18(1) (excluding in both instances bicycle tyres and tyres with an outside diameter above 1400mm).”
Article 18(1) provided for a two-year period for transposition of the Directive from its entry into force. In essence, this meant that the UK had two years from the date the Directive was published (July 1999) to set down the measures to meet the Directive’s requirements (July 2001).
In August 2001, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published its second consultation paper on implementation of the Landfill Directive, including draft regulations. This consultation responded to some uncertainty over the dates of the bans. The table provided is reproduced below:
| Banned waste | New landfill sites | Existing hazardous sites | Existing non-hazardous sites | Existing inert sites |
| Whole used tyres | July 2003 | July 2003 | July 20031 | July 20031 |
| Shredded tyres | July 2004 (hazardous) July 2006 (non-hazardous/inert) | July 20042 | July 20061 | July 20061 |
1 For an individual site, the ban will come into effect when the site receives a Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) permit but no sooner than July 2003 (whole tyres) July 2006 (shredded tyres)
2A hazardous waste site can only accept hazardous waste after July 2004. Tyres are not hazardous waste.
Section 9 of the draft regulations gives effect to the tyre ban. For completeness, this is also reproduced below:
“Prohibition of acceptance of certain wastes at landfills
9 (1) The operator of a landfill shall not accept any of the following wastes at the landfill –
(e) as from 16th July 2003, whole tyres other than –
(i) tyres used as engineering material;
(ii) bicycle tyres; and
(iii) tyres with an outside diameter above 1400mm;
(f) as from 16th July 2006, shredded used tyres other than –
(i) bicycle tyres; and
(ii) tyres with an outside diameter above 1400mm;”
These draft regulations were laid before Parliament in March 2002.
We are in the process of setting up a used tyre recycling plant in South Wales, UK. We plan to collect used car tyres and then to shred them into crumbs and granulate for recycling. If anyone is interested in either having their tyres taken away or in buying rubber crumb or rubber granulate please contact me.
I am inviting comments from people in waste management about the current state of UK legislation regarding the reuse of waste tyres for other purposes.
From: Jonathan Priddey Reply
Will the landfilling of catapillar tracks for site machinery be subject to the same resrictions as regular tyre? If yes, is there a company who is able to recycle them?
From: John Matthews Reply
I am looking for a scottish company (if possible) to supply up to 70 tonnes of rubber chippings for an outdoor exercise arena for my horses. Chippings need to be betwen 10 – 25 mm. Can anyone help provide a name and address?
From: Lyn Lewis Reply
Is there a company out there who have a waste tyre collection in Cornwall
From: Sarah Reply
Can anybody tell me where I can find information on what is classed as a ‘Shredded Tyre’? And any ne EU laws coming into place.
From: Adam Reply
How does an Education and Training establishment dispose of their tyres legally, whilst conforming to BS 14001.
From: Alex McGowan Reply
I am looking for a company that makes walls out of old tyres by wiring them together. Making wall sections suitable to make a sugar beet clamp on a farm.
From: Ian Johnson Reply
What is the commercially viable specification of carbon black and tire pyrolysis oil?
From: Chandra Mohan Reply
I am about to start up a go-karting business in scotland, can i use old tyres on my circuit and do i have to pay for them if they going to be recycled anyway?
From: Brian Wilson Reply
I have found a way to make a usefull product out of used tyres . Why no one has done this before has suprissed me. Has the potential to get rid of all tyres.I have submitted a provisional patent in Australia to cover this Idea. Looking for Seed Capital.
From: Steve Rathbone Reply
I live in the Stockport area near to a franchised garage which regularly store used tyres about 20,at the rear of their premises which is the road on which I live. The tyres are in the open insecured a few feet from the pavement.It has become the custom of local youths at weekend to re distribute them around the street.Are the garage in breach of these regulations
From: Ian Hinsley Reply
We have around 1500 tyres to dispose of in the Shrewsbury area. We would like to do it responsibly but are a non-profit making club. Can anyone advise the sort of costs that would be involved.
From: Carla Stubbings Reply
After recently closing a quad bike track I have several hundred tyres to dispose of. I’m looking for advice on what is the best way to do this and the cheapest,or companies that wiil come and collect them free of charge for recycling
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