TRA calls for immediate introduction of ‘shred-only’ Australian model in the UK
- Parliamentary questions reveal scale of non-compliance with new enhanced verification requirements.
- TRA writes to Mary Creagh MP, calling for meaningful action to stop UK waste from fuelling pollution overseas and secure investment in domestic industry capability.
The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has today warned that the UK’s new enhanced verification system for waste tyre exports is failing. Government data released confirms compliance rates are below 25%.
Writing to the Minister for Waste and Recycling, Mary Creagh MP, the TRA praised the minister for the action she instigated last year after it had been demonstrated that enforcement activity on end-of-life-tyre (ELT) exports was deficient. Illegally imported waste tyres from Britain were acknowledged to be a core source for highly polluting batch pyrolysis plants in India.
New data revealed in answer to Parliamentary questions, tabled by Tessa Munt MP, show however, that the overwhelming majority of tyre export consignments continue to fail to meet basic environmental tracking requirements.
According to a written Parliamentary response from the Minister on 12th February, 3,281 Annex VII documents have been authorised for tyre exports since October 2025. However, of the 1,891 consignments that have passed their eight-week reporting deadline, 1,370 have failed to return any post-shipment information at all. Of the number that did respond, only 458 met the required standards. This means more than 75% of recent whole ELT exports continue to be undocumented.
Further details highlight a lack of activity to bring brokers and receiving sites into compliance with the requirements. There is no evidence that the Environment Agency has removed receiving sites which have not complied with the requirements from the approved list. Meanwhile further information is required to understand if brokers who have failed to provide the necessary post-shipment documentation are being issued with stop notices by the Environment Agency until they come into compliance.
The TRA is urging the UK to replicate the legislative success seen in Australia, which banned the export of whole and baled ELTs in December 2021. Under the Australian model, tyres must be processed into shred or crumb of no more than 150mm before they can be exported. Introducing this model to the UK would provide the regulatory certainty to enable the expansion of domestic ELT reprocessing operations by unlocking multi-million investment in UK processing, leading to the expansion of secondary industries and ending the dumping of environmental waste overseas.
Currently there are at least 150,000 tonnes of idle domestic recycling capacity in the UK, capacity that is not engaged because of the ongoing flaws in enforcement.
Alongside the shred-only mandate, the TRA is calling for the immediate ending of the government’s now ill-judged T8 waste tyre exemption, originally intended as a low-cost measure for those handling small volumes of tyres. This long-standing loophole has allowed irresponsible operators to abuse this light touch exemption at almost zero cost, creating an uneven playing field for legitimate UK recyclers.
Peter Taylor OBE, Secretary General of the TRA, said:
“A new system with a 75% failure rate is not a solution. Despite the Government’s best intentions to sharpen the Environment Agency’s teeth, the new enhanced verification measures are being ignored by brokers and operators who continue to fuel unregulated pollution overseas.
“The only way to secure the integrity of our waste stream and protect the environment is to move beyond paperwork and mandate a ‘shred-only’ export policy. A model with proven success in Australia.
“We now know recent efforts to improve enforcement of existing rules still have a long road to travel before signs of success. The legitimate operators in the UK continue to be disadvantaged and significant domestic capacity lies idle.
“2026 must be the year that the UK stops exporting its environmental responsibilities – bring in the Australian model and build a robust, truly circular UK economy for tyres.”
Notes
- The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) represents the UK’s leading tyre recyclers and collectors, promoting best practice and professional standards across the industry.
- Parliamentary Question (UIN 111664) was tabled by Tessa Munt MP on 9 February and answered by Mary Creagh MP on 12 February 2026. The response confirmed that 1,370 out of 1,891 consignments failed to return post-shipment information.
- The Australian Model, in 2021, Australia implemented the Recycling and Waste Reduction (Export—Waste Tyres) Rules, prohibiting the export of whole baled tyres and mandating mechanical processing.
Why the UK must follow Australia's example
Australia’s success provides a clear, proven pathway for the UK to address its well documented crisis of undocumented and environmentally harmful ELT exports:
| # | UK Challenge | Australian Solution | UK Action Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illegal Exports & T8 Operators | Ban whole/baled exports (Dec 2021). | End the T8 Exemption for whole tyre storage and processing and adopt a shred-only export policy. |
| 2 | Lack of export oversight (Annex VII) | Mandatory tracking and enforcement of processed materials. | Full implementation of the digital geotagged Annex VII and mandatory reporting for all waste tyre exports at each stage of the supply chain. |
| 3 | Idle Domestic Capacity | Policy certainty drives £multimillion investment in domestic tyre recovery operations, including shredding and crumbing plants as well as investments in processes like pyrolysis and products like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). | Use policy certainty to unlock the UK's 250,000 tonnes of licenced idle domestic capacity and stimulate new private investment. |
Original press release by Tyre Recovery Association.
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