The Tyre Recovery Association has confirmed the speaker line-up and programme for its 2026 Annual Briefing Day, which will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, under the theme “Giving REAL Meaning to the Circular Economy.” The event will bring together regulators, parliamentarians, highway authorities, retailers, market analysts and tire recovery industry representatives to discuss the future of British end-of-life tire management, domestic recycling capacity, green procurement and regulatory reform. The programme includes sessions on mandatory Digital Waste Tracking, T8 exemption transitional arrangements, rubber-modified bitumen, market and data insights, sustainable aviation fuel, retail leadership and public procurement. TRA says the conference comes at a pivotal moment for the UK tire recycling sector, as the country considers how to reduce exports of whole waste tires, strengthen domestic reprocessing and build a more resilient circular economy.

Conference to focus on circular economy policy

The 2026 Briefing Day will open with a delegate welcome by TRA President Bill Clarke, followed by a keynote address from Tessa Munt MP. The programme will later include a session titled “Tire Recycling — Is Government Listening?” led by George Eustice, Director of Penbroath Ltd. and Defra Secretary of State from 2020 to 2022.

TRA said the event will examine whether current public policy is sufficient to support domestic tire recycling and recovery. The association argues that the UK must move away from offshoring environmental liabilities and instead develop a higher-value circular economy for tire-derived rubber, steel and other recovered materials.

Digital Waste Tracking and T8 exemptions on agenda

Senior Environment Agency representatives will provide regulatory updates during the conference. Tom Ellis, Policy Lead for the Digital Waste Tracking Project at the Environment Agency, will discuss the rollout of national Digital Waste Tracking.

Matthew Kendall, Senior Advisor in the Waste Treatment, Transfer and Storage Team at the Environment Agency, will present on T8 transitional arrangements and provide a preview of new standard rules. TRA has called for the statutory abolition of outdated T8 waste exemptions, arguing that reform is needed to remove rogue operators and create a fairer operating environment for compliant British tire reprocessors.

Rubber-modified bitumen session to examine road applications

A major session will focus on the case for rubber-modified bitumen. Steve Gooding CB FCILT FCIHT, Director of the RAC Foundation, will introduce the session. Luis Alfonso de León, Road and Asphalt Director at TRS Polymers in Spain, will provide an international perspective by video link, while Richard Hutchins, Founder of PRG Scotland Ltd., will discuss the situation in Britain.

The session reflects growing interest in rubberized asphalt and other infrastructure applications for recycled tire rubber. Such applications can provide domestic outlets for end-of-life tire materials while supporting road durability, noise reduction and circular procurement goals.

Market data and retail leadership included

Simon Hodson, Director of Analysis at Astutus Research, will present market and data insights before the networking lunch sponsored by Vaculug Ltd. In the afternoon, Ian Andrew, CEO of the National Tyre Distributors Association, will discuss leadership in retailing and the role of the tire retail supply chain.

The programme also includes a session on oils and sustainable aviation fuel by Gates Green Solutions Ltd., connecting tire recovery discussions with advanced energy and circular feedstock opportunities.

Green procurement seen as market driver

Giles Bancroft of Godolphin Communications will present a session on promoting green procurement and its relevance to the tire industry. TRA said public purchasing power could help unlock idle British reprocessing capacity, generate demand for remanufactured assets and accelerate the UK’s circular economy.

Green procurement is increasingly viewed as a key lever for developing markets for recycled rubber, rubber-modified asphalt, retreaded tires, recovered materials and other products linked to end-of-life tire recovery.

TRA calls for stronger export and domestic processing rules

TRA Secretary General Peter Taylor OBE said the UK has operated for years under a policy framework that allows more than 1,000 tonnes of whole waste tires to leave the country every day while more than 150,000 tonnes of licensed domestic reprocessing and remanufacturing capacity remains idle. He said this represents the export of environmental responsibilities rather than a circular economy.

TRA is calling for an immediate shred-only export mandate, modeled on legislation used in Australia, to stop the export of whole waste tires and require initial processing under domestic environmental standards. The association says such a measure would help keep high-grade rubber and steel onshore and support a more resilient British green industry.

Briefing Day concludes with industry address

The afternoon programme will conclude with a valedictory address by Ewan Scott, Editor of Tyre and Rubber Recycling. The event is intended for industry stakeholders, media, policymakers and organizations involved in tire collection, recycling, reprocessing, remanufacturing, rubberized asphalt, green procurement and circular economy policy.

The Tyre Recovery Association represents the UK tire recovery and recycling industry. Its members account for most used tires collected, reprocessed or recycled in the UK and are accredited under the Responsible Recycler Scheme, which supports environmentally sound and legally compliant handling, reprocessing and reuse of end-of-life tires.

The Tyre Recovery Association