New standards to rubber stamp tyre recycling

With more than 100,000 used tyres removed from UK vehicles daily, a new initiative launched by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) and the Environment Agency will help businesses come to grips with the value of used tyres.

The Quality Protocol for the production and use of tyrederived rubber materials, which was launched to consultation could make it easier and cheaper for industry to reprocess used tyres into valuable products like flooring, road surfacing, and aggregates.

Martin Brocklehurst, Head of External Waste Programmes at the Environment Agency, said: “Placed end to end, the annual tyre waste of England and Wales would stretch from London to Cardiff more than 100 times. With so many cars, vans and trucks discarding tyres, we have potential to access more than 40,000 tonnes of recycled rubber.

“A Quality Protocol could save businesses the time and costs associated with meeting waste regulations, by clearly defining the standards required to collect, transport, store, recycle and reuse rubber tyres, without harming human health and the environment.”

Under the Quality Protocol processed used tyres would no longer be classified as waste, making the recycled rubber more marketable and guaranteeing to customers that the material they buy will meet agreed quality standards.

Recycled rubber from used tyres can be used for Landscaping, bridleways, footpaths, paving & porous piping, sports and recreational: artificial sports tracks and surfaces, sports barriers, golf and bowling greens etc.

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