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The UK government has announced it will remove the T8 exemption, which currently allows mechanical treatment of end-of-life tyres without a permit, as part of broader reforms to the waste exemption regime under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Welsh Government say the move is designed to curb illegal waste activity and improve environmental protection.

According to the article by Tyre and Rubber Recycling magazine, the T8 Exemption, originally designed to support small businesses in the UK tire recycling sector, has been misused and abused, leading to negative impacts on legitimate, permitted recycling businesses. The article highlights that the T8 Exemption allows operators to store and handle large quantities of tires without proper oversight, leading to uncontrolled exports of tires, which undermines recycling efforts and environmental regulations.

An extract from a communication from Sir James Bevan, the Environment Agency Chief Executive, was published in the latest Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) Newsletter: "We support the withdrawal of the T8 exemption and as reasonably early as possible. We are presently working towards this end with Defra with legislation on the statute book for England and Wales likely from Spring 2022. Now and leading up to the proposed withdrawal of the T8, we are targeting T8 registered sites to ensure compliance with the limits and conditions of that exemption. The outcome of these and other checks feed back into our compliance and enforcement priorities, and we share our intelligence with our law enforcement agency partners. Tyres have been prioritised as a waste stream of concern and we are managing our resources accordingly.”

As per the Tyre Recovery Association’s (TRA) press release, following strenuous lobbying by the TRA to persuade regulators to do much more to prevent rogue operators using T8 exemptions as a cover for the illegitimate handling of Britain’s end-of-life tyres, DEFRA announced in February that it would act to end the current exemptions regime. The TRA welcomed this news but has urged DEFRA Secretary of State Thérèse Coffey MP to now act speedily, pointing out that Scotland had already moved to eliminate exemptions fully seven years ago. In a response received from Rebecca Pow MP, DEFRA Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience the TRA is encouraged to learn that it is also the wish of government to now see swift progress in finally ending exemptions in both England and Wales and is moving to the necessary affirmative legislation to amend the 2016 Environmental Permitting Regulations. See a copy of the letter below:

In response to an inquiry from Tyre and Rubber Recycling, DeFRA provided an update on their plans for waste tyre management. The department confirmed that the Labour government intends to reform the waste exemptions system, including the removal of the T8 exemption. This initiative aligns with the new Secretary of State's goal of developing a roadmap toward a zero-waste economy, which aims to enhance resource efficiency and cut down on emissions and waste.

Following Labour’s first budget, UK industry call for reforms to improve environmental management, secure British industry and contribute to national wealth creation Friday 01 November, the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA), the Imported Tyre Manufacturers Association, the British Tyre Manufacturers Association and the National Tyre Distributors Association have written a joint letter to the DEFRA Secretary, Steve Reed MP.

In episode 59, the Tyre Recycling Podcast talks to Peter Taylor OBE, Secretary General of the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA), about the lack of action on the T8 removal. The T8 Exemption, originally designed to support small businesses in the UK tire recycling sector, has been misused and abused, leading to negative impacts on legitimate, permitted recycling businesses. Seven years after the removal was first announced, we still don't seem to be close to a resolution. The domestic UK tyre recycling industry is being weakened by waste tyre exports to India.

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 comes home to roost. With 75% of the UK’s waste tyres heading to the Indian subcontinent 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.

The UK’s Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has issued an urgent call to action to the British government, warning that the country’s domestic tyre recycling industry is under severe threat due to inaction on outdated regulations and the continued export of end-of-life tyres (ELTs) to countries like India.