The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) will use its 2026 Annual Day to press for stronger UK enforcement on waste tire exports, T8 exemptions, green procurement and domestic circular economy capacity. The event, scheduled for September 15, 2026, at Coombe Abbey Hotel in Coventry, will bring together the UK tire recycling and recovery industry under the theme “Giving Real Meaning to the Circular Economy.” According to the operational note, the conference will ask whether the UK Government is prepared to match circular economy rhetoric with statutory enforcement, end whole tire exports and support domestic green industrial resilience. TRA says more than 1,000 tonnes of whole waste tires leave British ports every day, while at least 150,000 tonnes of licensed UK tire recycling and remanufacturing capacity remains idle. The association argues that stronger export controls, the withdrawal of T8 exemptions, better documentation enforcement and public procurement for recycled content, retreads and rubberized asphalt are needed to build a more resilient domestic tire recovery system.

Annual Day to focus on enforcement and circular economy delivery

The TRA Annual Day is described as the largest annual gathering of the UK tire recycling and recovery industry. The 2026 event will focus on regulatory failures, domestic green manufacturing and the practical measures needed to turn circular economy policy into enforceable industrial outcomes.

The keynote speaker will be Tess Munt MP, Member of Parliament for Wells and Mendip Hills. The closing speaker will be George Eustice, Director of Penbroath Ltd. and former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2020 to 2022.

TRA says reform of waste tire regulation has stalled

The operational note says progress on reforming the UK waste tire regulatory framework remains stalled despite government commitments to Net Zero and resource security. TRA points to continued delays in the withdrawal of T8 exemptions, which it says allow unaccredited operators to undercut legitimate tire reprocessors.

The association argues that light-touch exemptions create an uneven market for compliant businesses and weaken incentives to invest in licensed domestic tire recycling and remanufacturing infrastructure.

Whole tire exports remain central concern

TRA says the UK exports approximately 1,000 tonnes of whole waste tires every day, equivalent to more than 300,000 tonnes annually. Elsewhere in the operational note, the association refers to more than 500,000 tonnes of waste tires exported each year, indicating the scale of material leaving the domestic system.

The note says exports are predominantly sent to non-OECD countries such as India, where TRA argues environmental oversight is limited and some material is directed to informal and highly polluting pyrolysis. The association frames this as the offshoring of environmental responsibility rather than a functioning circular economy.

Association calls for shred-only export mandate

TRA is calling on the UK Government to introduce a strict shred-only export mandate, banning whole and baled tire exports. The association says the policy should follow Australia’s model and require initial processing to take place domestically under UK environmental standards.

Such a measure would be intended to keep more rubber and steel within the UK recovery system, support local reprocessing capacity and reduce the risk that whole end-of-life tires are exported into poorly controlled treatment routes.

Export documentation enforcement highlighted

The operational note also identifies export enforcement as a major issue. TRA points to a lack of enforcement on Annex VII post-shipment documentation and proof-of-arrival tracking.

According to the association, stronger tracking and enforcement are needed to ensure that exported tire-derived materials are handled in line with declared destinations and treatment routes. This issue is becoming more urgent as the EU enforces stricter Waste Shipment Regulations under Regulation (EU) 2024/1157.

UK risks falling behind Europe

TRA warns that the UK risks becoming an environmental outlier as the EU tightens waste shipment rules. The association argues that without stronger export standards and domestic processing requirements, the UK could fall behind European approaches to waste control, tire recycling and circular resource management.

The concern is not only regulatory. TRA says domestic tire recovery capacity is being left unused while whole tires are exported. This creates a mismatch between policy objectives and market outcomes.

Green procurement seen as unused opportunity

The operational note says public tenders often fail to require recycled content, retreads or rubberized asphalt. TRA presents green procurement as one of the clearest opportunities for government and public authorities to create demand for domestic tire-derived materials.

Mandating or encouraging recycled rubber in public works, retreaded tires in suitable fleets and rubberized asphalt in highway maintenance could help create stable end markets for recovered tire materials. These demand-side measures are important because collection and processing alone do not create a circular economy unless recycled materials are used in new products and infrastructure.

Rubberized asphalt included among key opportunities

TRA identifies rubberized asphalt as a practical circular economy opportunity for the UK. The operational note says rubber-modified bitumen can be used in highways maintenance to create stronger, quieter and longer-lasting road surfaces.

For the tire recycling sector, road applications can provide a high-volume domestic outlet for crumb rubber and other recycled tire rubber materials. Wider adoption would depend on public procurement, technical standards, road authority acceptance and consistent supply from UK recyclers.

Media invited to attend and request interviews

National, regional and specialist trade media are invited to attend the one-day event, book interviews with speakers and panelists, and request access to conference presentations. TRA said attendance registration, interview requests and conference content access should be arranged through its office.

The event will be held at Coombe Abbey Hotel, Brinklow Road, Binley, Coventry, CV3 2AB. TRA says the conference is intended to bring regulators, parliamentarians, operators and media together to address the regulatory and commercial conditions needed for responsible tire recycling and recovery in the UK.

TRA represents responsible tire recyclers

The Tyre Recovery Association represents businesses involved in responsible tire recycling and recovery. The operational note highlights the association’s support for the Responsible Recycler Scheme, under which TRA members are accredited for environmentally sound and legally compliant handling, recycling, reprocessing and reuse of end-of-life tires.

TRA says its broader role includes advocacy at industry and government levels, development of performance data and stronger links across the tire recycling world. Its 2026 Annual Day will therefore focus not only on the challenges facing UK waste tire management, but also on the policy changes and market mechanisms needed to support domestic circular economy resilience.

Article source: TRA.