Created: 18 April 2024

UK set to be environmental sick man of Europe if British politicians don’t act

Industry alarm at lack of progress to update UK waste regulations –

pressure mounts

- India’s ATMA reveals UK role in export of polluting baled end-of-life tyres

- European Union updates legislation to clamp down on polluting waste exports to non-OECD nations

- DEFRA’s silence must end, the government must do the right thing

TRA continues to demand Government response to tackle abuse of end-of-life whole tyres exported from UK

Britain will be the environmental sick man of Europe if government doesn’t not act soon to update waste regulations, warns the UK’s Tyre Recovery Association (TRA). Revealing the correspondence underway with the Secretary of State for the Environment and his department, the TRA makes public the issues the UK government are failing to engage with.

At the end of February, European Union legislators passed the first steps to tightening export of waste materials from its members. End-of-life waste tyres were one of the items specifically referenced in the EU’s updated Waste Shipment Regulation. Under the updated EU regulation, waste cannot be sent to non-OECD countries unless the country concerned is willing to import it and can demonstrate the environmentally sound management of waste through auditing by independent bodies and monitoring by the European Commission. The legislation will leave Britain with the unenviable reputation as the only major European nation legally able to export baled end-of-life tyres to countries like India.

Figures recently released by India’s Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) showed that India imported around 800,000 tonnes of scrapped tyres between April and November 2023. The UK and European Union member nations were the majority contributors. In updating its regulations, the EU recognises that safe and efficient shipments of waste are key for a circular economy.

The TRA and other professional recyclers fear that with waste exports to common destination in Asia banned, irresponsible British operators and exporters are the likely receptacles for those negligent European operators looking to dump their product abroad.

At the end of February, the TRA wrote to the DEFRA minister responsible for wate, Robbie Moore MP, asking him to push officials into action saying, “[As the Minister responsible] ensure we do the right and best thing - respond to the Indian calls to only export shredded tyres, grow our own circular environmentally responsible market and follow the very successful Australian example”. Australia banned the export of most whole ELTs in 2020.

The TRA’s February letter went on, “To be blunt now is time the UK government acknowledged that far from tackling this environmental assault, current policies enable some UK operators to facilitate serious environmental harm …

“It is embarrassing for us as an industry to know such malpractice takes place, it must be humiliating for those leading British policy making to know how far the reality has drifted from their rhetoric. It is hard to find the green, environmental or circular in the current UK waste tyre policy framework, yet the solutions are clear and simple.”

Peter Taylor OBE, Secretary General of the TRA, said:

“Without the necessary policy update Britain will shortly be the environmental sick man of Europe, home to unscrupulous operators taking malign advantage of the European Union’s tighter rules. Britain is set to be the only European nation exporting environmental waste beyond its shores without proper scrutiny or oversight.

“Ministers have been sitting on their hands for too long, this must stop. The steps are simple and inexpensive. Four years ago this was acknowledged with the commitment to end the T8 exemption, yet still we wait for that legislation. Now we see the European Union taking decisive action and, rather than recognising the benefits from aligning with that regulatory approach, our government refuses to engage. Are they really happy to sit back and watch our environmental responsibilities shipped to the other side of the world without comparable oversights?

“Currently the UK has at least 150,000 tonnes of licenced idle domestic recycling capacity of its own, but the business case for maintaining this is being undermined by political lethargy. If the government acted, we could be at the front of the environmental pack - building the circular economy we all want to see. But if the government does not act, we will see a decline in standards. The malady of inertia is settling in and leading us down a path to being the environmental sick man of Europe.”

Created: 15 March 2024

Global leader in online vehicle remarketing and recycling, Copart UK, have announced their plans to operate from a new 30-acre site in Gloucester, significantly boosting their vehicle storage capacity in the Southwest of England.

This former Cazoo site in Gloucestershire will provide Copart with storage for an additional 30,000 vehicles per annum.  

This, coupled with Copart’s existing Operation Centres in Westbury and Bristol, adds to Copart’s strategic network of storage and vehicle management capabilities in the Southwest.

This news follows a series of recent land investment announcements from Copart, including new sites in St Helens, Corby, and East Kilbride, and expansions at their Operation Centres in Bristol, Rochford, Sandtoft, Sandy, Peterlee, Hixon and Wisbech – taking Copart’s locations to 27.

Jane Pocock, CEO of Copart UK & Ireland, said:

“With a growing, and increasingly diverse UK car parc, alongside the rise in extreme weather events, we know that remaining ahead of demand and having the ability to provide further storage capacity for our customers is vital. 

“We’re committed to continuously expanding our landbank and operational network across the UK, providing close proximity to communities and customers so that we can always be there when we are needed to collect, handle, and store vehicles quickly, efficiently, and with minimal environmental impact.”

Created: 04 April 2024

Created: 15 March 2024

Silverlake Automotive Recycling [Silverlake] has completed an Institute of Motor Industry [IMI] accredited EV dismantling course from ELEVATE - an NA International initiative.  The course sees colleagues recognised as accredited EV dismantling technicians by the IMI.  

Silverlake is processing growing numbers of electric vehicles every month.  2023 saw an increase of 172% in all high voltage vehicles compared to 2022; further identified by a 94% increase in fully electric vehicles and a 218% increase in hybrid vehicles.   

The company is proactive in equipping its people with the necessary skills and competencies to deliver the services needed by customers and operate safely.  The NA International EV dismantling course provides training from electrically qualified, manufacturer trained and IMI certified staff with over 35 years of experience. Participants learn how to make high voltage vehicles safe and how to remove high voltage components and batteries after the vehicle has been made safe, and are issued with an IMI Certificate on completion. 

Tom Harvey, Organisation Development Manager at Silverlake commented: “As of the end of February 2024, there are now over 1,000,000 fully electric cars on UK roads and a further 620,000 plug-in hybrids.*  The automotive industry is evolving and we are investing in our people and our facilities to serve our customers, future-proof our business and embrace the opportunities presented.  This is the second EV training course we have undertaken with NA International and we are impressed by the quality of their trainers and the valuable mix of theory and practical training.”  

Ken Byng, Director at NA International Group said: “I was delighted to roll out this inaugural ELEVATE IMI accredited End of Life Electric & Hybrid Electric Vehicle Dismantling training course to two of the key staff at Silverlake involved in their industry leading End of Life EV operation. As the first IMI accredited course of its kind in the UK - designed specifically to equip any ATF with the knowledge and competence needed to safely handle these vehicles and batteries at their end of life - the programme has been created to satisfy the forthcoming IMI National Occupational Standards and culminates in successful candidates receiving formal IMI Certification. ELEVATE (End of Life Electric Vehicle Advice, Training & Expertise) will play a crucial part in professionalising the ELV industry via IMI certified targeted learning outcomes whilst eliminating the need for complex formal examinations, and it is reassuring to see the seriousness with which Silverlake take their responsibilities in both educating their staff, and keeping them safe in this area.”