In response to the growing interest in tyre pyrolysis in the UK and beyond, the British Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) recently launched a sub-group of interested members to address a number of matters of common importance in the field of end-of-life tyre pyrolysis.

The aim of the new group which will held its first scoping meeting in January 2021 is to consider pyrolysis in the context of the current regulatory environment as well as barriers and opportunities in the areas of product and market development.

With the number of potential new market entrants on the increase, ensuring the United Kingdom, as a nation, is well-placed to benefit from this developing process for dealing with post-consumer tyres is a ‘must’ for the TRA, according to its statement from December 2020. From being all too often viewed as a ‘problem’ waste, end-of-life tyres should be seen as an important resource which deserves to be better valorized, the TRA stresses. The association hopes that tyre pyrolysis as a now emerging technology will play a significant role in achieving this ambition.

First meeting of TRA’s pyrolysis group

The meeting of the recently-announced new TRA group on tyre pyrolysis was held on 26th January 2021, attended by sixteen of the Association’s members.

“We were delighted by this level of participation” said Association President, Tim Stott, “and even more pleased that several participants have recently joined TRA specifically to be part of this much needed initiative”.

The meeting identified a number of common interests and objectives ranging from feedstock monitoring, the clear need to influence future regulation governing pyrolysis operators as well as complex issues such as ‘end of waste’ status and planning constraints.

Having settled on this wide-ranging set of objectives, it was resolved to schedule further meetings in the coming weeks at the beginning of 2021 in which a renewed dialogue would be launched with regulators from the Devolved Administrations.

Commented Tim Stott, “we have already identified some wide-ranging concerns but also some real opportunities to smooth the way for investors in new pyrolysis capacity to benefit from a more compliant regulatory regime.”

About the Tyre Recovery Association

A cornerstone of the Tyre Recovery Association is its support for the Responsible Recycler Scheme in the UK. All TRA members are fully accredited by the scheme, which ensures that all end-of-life tyres collected, recycled or reprocessed by them are disposed of or reused in an environmentally friendly or acceptable methods. However, markets for tyre recovery continue to grow and develop and as the EU Landfill Directive is applied right across Europe a new international dimension will evolve. The Tyre Recovery Association has the independent ability to pursue its broader objectives at both industry and government levels, generate performance data specific to its member’s interests as well as develop stronger links across the tyre recycling world. See more at: https://www.tyrerecovery.org.uk

Press release by TRA.