TRA calls on UK government to do the right thing, support British operators and end polluting export of end-of-life tyres

Britain must face up to the reality of its actions if it is to live up to His Majesty’s Government rhetoric, says the Tyre Recovery Association. The disruption caused by Houthi attacks on international shipping have lifted the veil many have been choosing to ignore, the UK is not building a circular economy but double dipping with unnecessary carbon leakage.

Latest figures reveal 250-300,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyre are exported from the UK per annum, yet the UK has at least 150,000 tonnes of idle domestic recycling capacity. Exported tyres are transported to market on carbon producing ocean tankers. According to the German statistics company, Statista, who looked at product tankers operating in the United Kingdom, ships end-of-life tyre exports are carried on produced the equivalent of 9.02 grams of CO2 per metric tonne of goods shipped per kilometre in 2023. With shipping now diverting via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea the journey lengths are estimated to have almost doubled, increasing carbon emissions by one third.

Government figures on rubber export released earlier this month show that, having completed an unnecessary carbon producing journey, 75% of these ELT waste tyre exports end up being sold into the Indian sub-content. Much of these Indian tonnages are dealt with in a manner that is highly polluting, with the Indian authorities fighting an uphill battle to end the illegal and unethical distribution of ELT waste tyres for use on vehicles and the highly polluting practice of back street pyrolysis. The life of an average worker in one of these micro and illegal pyrolysis plants is estimated at seven years, demonstrating quite how noxious the by-products from burning are to both humans and the environment.

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

“It beggars belief that the government continue to enable CO2 producing exports while UK capacity lies idle. The UK tyre industry welcomes the opportunities that come from the

circular economy advocated for by ministers, yet those same ministers appear incapable of pushing through the rule changes that make it work. Without much needed updating of UK regulations our nation will continue to double dip in unnecessary carbon production, first from the carbon created by ships loaded with ELTs for export and then those ELTs are unloaded into a market that is sadly rife with abuse.

“The TRA want to see responsible recycling at the heart of our industry, but the regulatory framework needed lags way behind.

“It is time our government does the right thing and stop the UK’s carbon leakage.”

Hot on the heels of the recent news about a brand-new site in St Helens, today global leader in online vehicle remarketing and recycling, Copart UK, has announced an expansion of their Sandtoft ‘Super Centre’ in the North of England to create a huge 130-acre site.

This new acquisition of an ex-IAA/Synetiq site of 20 acres adjoins the 65 acres of land added recently at Sandtoft, making it the largest Copart ‘Super Centre’ in the UK.

By continuing to enhance their network of Copart Super Centres, which already includes Bristol and Sandwich in Kent, Copart are significantly improving strategic storage capacity across the UK. 

This acquisition, and the corresponding increase in their land footprint, enables Copart to offer an expansion of their Green Parts, Salvage, and Integrated Services. 

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

“As the car parc continues to grow alongside an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events, the needs of our customers remain paramount, and we’re fully committed to future-proofing our services accordingly. 

“This expansion increases our annual vehicle storage capacity significantly and is yet another example of us implementing our ‘Always Moving Forward’ strategy.”

Communities across Britain face environmental assault if UK authorities can’t stop illegal disposal of end-of-life tyres

Britain faces an environmental assault from the illegal disposal of end-of-life tyres as the impact of the Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping come home to roost. With 75% of the UK’s waste tyres heading to the Indian sub-continent via the Red Sea route, the UK government rightly condemns Houthi attacks against commercial shipping, yet at the same time it is failing to address the environmental concerns that arise from this situation, warns the Tyre Recovery Association.

Industry insiders point to the Red Sea shipping crisis as exposing the lethargy of UK’s policy making and a reliance on exports that has been termed ‘environmental colonialism’. Government has been presented with evidence of the misuse of UK baled end-of-life tyres by Indian importers but have taken no action. As ships are diverted via the Cape of Good Hope container rates for the shipment of used tyres have dramatically increased from an average £850 to £2,000. Meanwhile tyre collectors at the lower reaches of the market, commonly operating under a licence known as a T8 exemption, have come to rely on disposing of the tyres they collect by exporting to the Indian sub-continent. These operators have seen the price of the baled tyres they sell for export to the Indian sub-continent fall dramatically as overseas importers refuse to pay the additional surcharges shippers need to cover their increased transport costs.

The last time prices collapsed for these operators there was a significant increase in fly tipping, abandonment and major tyre fires. Such fires can take days to extinguish, involving dozens of firefighters. The noxious smoke can cause travel chaos to road and rail, as well as result in a dangerous reduction in air quality impacting local schools and communities.

T8 exempted operators are limited to storing 40 tonnes of tyre a week, with an average 26 tonnes of tyre making up one container for export, the challenge becomes clear with illegal storage expected to rocket. As unscrupulous end-of-life tyre operators come under pressure, illegal stockpiling will rise, as will fly tipping and illegal abandonment, which includes burning. A cycle of behaviour that will once again damage Britain’s environment looks inevitable, effecting water courses and the air we breathe. Meanwhile the Environment Agency and other enforcement authorities will struggle to keep up with the scale of rule breaking given the challenges already faced in preceding more stable times.

End-of-life tyre recyclers have been frustrated by the Government’s inability to implement the commitment made by the Environment Secretary to end T8 exemptions two years ago. With an election expected this year,

a DEFRA letter dated 04 January 2024, from the Minister responsible for land waste has confirmed that this government does not expect to allocate the necessary parliamentary time to curtail the well documented abuse of the T8 exemption in this parliament.

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

“The crisis in the Red Sea is not just a threat to British people’s ability to buy their clothes from Next, it presents a looming environmental calamity for communities near sites across the country. The TRA has been warning the government that current regulations are inadequate and allow non-compliant waste tyre operators to continue abusing the rules. As Houthi pirates create a strangle hold on shipping routes the full picture of the UK’s end-life-tyre market and its over reliance on Indian sub-continent importers comes into sharp relief.

“Reputational damage to the industry from tyre fires, virtually all of which are at non-permitted sites, causes issue for mainstream permitted operators and the industry at large.

“We have the capacity and capability in the UK to responsibly deal with end-of-life tyres but urgently need the UK’s environmental regulations to catch up.”

In yet another strand of their ongoing growth programme, global leader in online vehicle remarketing and recycling, Copart UK, have announced a new Operation Centre in St Helens, Merseyside.

Copart’s purchase of this 16-acre site (formerly leased by Cazoo), strategically placed between Manchester and Liverpool, will increase their Northwest capacity by 50%.

This news comes just after two other brand-new Copart Operation Centres opened their doors in Corby, Northamptonshire, and East Kilbride, Scotland, and in addition to the company announcing several large expansions to existing sites.

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

“We’re very excited to be making this announcement as we continue to move forward on our ‘Land and Expand’ strategy. 

“The investment into this additional capacity demonstrates our continued commitment to our customers by enabling growth, EV handling, and increased volumes due to the expected forecast of further extreme weather events.”