Scrap tires are constantly being delivered abroad from Australia, however the sustainable recycling practices are being neglected, Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) claimed. Moreover, the organization’s Chief Executive Officer Lina Goodman noted citing fresh audit that Australian recyclers transport used tires in such a way that it becomes a cause for concern. For instance, tires were sold to companies that practice unsustainable tire incineration, or store them in an unsafe way.

Even though Goodman admitted that selling scrap tires abroad was “inevitable”, TSA was seeking from Australian tire processors to take more care and responsibility when handling tires. Unfortunately, TSA is not empowered to regulate foreign scarp tire markets; however, it was seeking to encourage the companies to switch to healthier and socially benefitting ways to dealing with waste tires.

To make the process more transparent, TSA has teamed up with global assurance firm Intertek to secure the right operation of its product stewardship scheme which relies on the key principle – all members are demanded to use certified TSA collection and recycling services; if the rule is neglected, the companies will be stripped off their memberships. Intertek, in turn, stressed its commitment to the work with TSA saying that it was ready to secure proper tire export, distribution, tire safety and other crucial aspects.

Currently, TSA has allocated $4 million to develop sustainable end markets in Australia for recycled products from scrap tires. At the same time, TSA doesn’t stop there and seeks expansion and new victories. To attain that, Liam O’Keefe has been promoted and appointed Senior Strategy manager of TSA. He is expected to keep on developing product stewardship and find new markets for recycled products.

Article by Waste Management Review.