Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) – the end-of-life tire management authority in Australia – together with Keep Victoria Beautiful (KVB) are joining forces to help the Litter Enforcement Officer Network (LEON) tackle illegal dumping and stockpiling of waste tires in local environments.

Each year, in Victoria alone, approximately 120,000 tons of tires reach end of life. With the recent export ban on whole and baled tires, there are concerns that more dumping of tires in parks, creeks, leased factories or on private land can be seen, as the tire industry adjusts to changes in the market and increased cost pressures exacerbated by COVID.

In making the announcement, TSA CEO, Lina Goodman said: “Litter enforcement officers are on the ground, in every community, every day working against illegal waste dumping in Victoria; and they’ve told us that tire stockpiling is becoming a challenging issue.”

“We want to support the efforts of the Litter Enforcement Officer Network by increasing the exchange of intelligence between our organisations, so litter enforcement officers are well-equipped to raise awareness of the issue in their local area.”

“In turn, TSA will learn from LEON members’ valuable local knowledge of emerging trends and rogue operators, which will help us further develop sustainable outcomes for end-of-life tires that work for everyone.”

“We believe that it’s only by working together with the people on the ground, that we can reduce the social and environmental burden of tire waste for future generations. The partnership allows TSA to remain agile and act quickly on the intelligence provided by the litter enforcement officers. We are very proud to be working with KVB and the highly-respected LEON members to do just that.”

Communities, councils and regulators can support KVB and local LEON members in tackling the tire waste problem, by:

  • Using the ‘dumped tires’ category in SNAPSENDSOLVE app to report tire pollution
  • Buying tires from retailers accredited with TSA
  • Using collectors and recyclers accredited with TSA

KVB Acting Executive Officer, Samuel Lawson supports the partnership: “As leaders in illegal waste management, Keep Victoria Beautiful welcomes further collaboration with Tyre Stewardship Australia through the Litter Enforcement Officer Network.”

“This partnership will reduce illegal waste and boost sustainable outcomes for end-of-life tires by connecting TSA with hundreds of officers working on the ground, plus build relationships with our state regulatory partners to strengthen intelligence sharing.”

“We look forward to Keeping Victoria Beautiful and anticipate some fantastic achievements through this partnership.”

For more information, please proceed to Tyre Stewardship Australia’s media release.