As reported by RJA, a Spanish Royal Decree that will “accelerate the transition of the end-of-life tire sector towards a model of circular economy” had been approved by the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO).

The journal reports that, among other issues, the new law includes all tires over 1,400 mm in diameter and prohibits landfilling large end-of-life tires, an issue that has been allowed until now. It also prioritizes the reuse of tires and further defines the conditions that both second-use tires and retreaded tires must meet for their subsequent sale.

Reportedly, the standard also details the information that must be provided about the tires to the consumer, which preferably will be delivered electronically. It is expected that the Decree will result in greater control and traceability of management of end-of-life tires, which will help to avoid its accumulation and, ultimately, improve the protection of the environment.

The document says that producers are obliged to manage the tires as many times as necessary until their complete recovery, including the management of the tire if it is sold as a second-hand or retreaded product. However, the Decree extends the definition of tire producer to those manufacturers of retreaded tires in Spain on imported casings, and to importers of second-hand or retreaded tires, which makes them subjects of extended responsibility for ELT management. Producers can channel this management obligation through the collective liability systems, which manage the collection and recovery of used tires in Authorized Treatment Centers (CAT) or similar facilities.

In addition, all tire producers will be listed in the Product Producers Registry, which must contain their details at the time of their registration, and the information that they must report annually on the quantities and types of tires they introduce into the national “replacement market”.

Furthermore, the Decree regulates “the exceptional procedure for collecting ELTs at the collection points” as well as the relationship between the collection points and the producers to pay for the collection and treatment of the tires, in order to solve operational problems. The resulting information in the treatment of waste will be used to provide greater transparency to the management system for ELTs.

Article by RJA.