The UK tyre industry’s leading trade associations have jointly urged the government to act swiftly to support a national circular economy, following the appointment of The Rt. Hon. Steve Reed MP as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
In a joint letter, the Imported Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ITMA), British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (BTMA), National Tyre Distributors’ Association (NTDA), and the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) highlighted long-standing policy gaps that have stalled the development of sustainable tyre waste management in the UK.
The associations stressed that immediate steps could be taken, even before the conclusion of Defra’s current review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), to bolster domestic tyre recycling capacity and eliminate loopholes that hinder progress.
The industry representatives outlined two primary actions for immediate implementation:
According to the TRA, over 40 million tyres are processed annually in the UK, yet more than 300,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres are still exported each year—despite available domestic capacity to handle at least half of that volume.
The associations argued that addressing these two issues without delay would align with the Labour government's commitment to fostering a "zero-waste economy" and protecting nature, as outlined in recent ministerial statements.
The letter suggested that the Secretary of State could use existing 'operational condition' powers to amend regulations more swiftly than traditional legislative processes would allow, saving parliamentary time and demonstrating early success for the new government.
Industry leaders emphasised that the electric vehicle (EV) transition will lead to heavier and more complex tyre waste streams, making it even more critical to build resilient domestic recycling infrastructure now.
The signatories—Peter Taylor OBE (TRA), Alfred Graham (ITMA), Darren Lindsey (BTMA), and Stefan Hay (NTDA)—offered to brief the Secretary of State directly and provide further technical input to support policy progress.
The call for regulatory change reflects broader pressures within the tyre sector to adapt waste management strategies for an era dominated by EVs and net-zero targets. As vehicle technology evolves, the importance of sustainable end-of-life solutions is growing across the entire value chain, from OEMs to aftermarket distributors.
Tagged with: tyre recycling, end-of-life tyres, circular economy, Defra, waste tyres, tyre exports, tyre recovery, EV tyre waste
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