Waste Tyres, also known as End of Life Tyres (ELT) comprise both car, van and large vehicle truck tyres which are generally collected as a source-separated waste stream under EWC code 16 01 03

Picture of Waste Car Tyres - picture from Pellon Tyres and Autocentre all rights reserved
Picture of Waste Car Tyres - picture from Pellon Tyres and Autocentre all rights reserved


Overview

A tyre is 'a thick piece of rubber which is fitted onto the wheels of vehicles such as cars, buses, lorries, and bicycles'[1].

The preferred method of treating waste tyres is for source-segregated tyres to undergo a waste Recovery operation to produce tyre-derived rubber materials[2]. It is illegal to landfill untreated, whole tyres. ‌

The Quality Protocol developed by WRAP in 2009 and updated in 2014 defines the End of Waste Criteria for the production of tyre-derived products. Once these have been met then waste tyres ceases to be waste as the material has been fully recovered[2].

Macro Tonnages

The most recent information published by DEFRA [3] is summarized in the pie chart below, with 323,109 tonnes of rubber waste generated in the UK in 2016 (tyres being part of this category and the broader tonnages summarized in UK Waste Tonnage):

Rubber Wastes
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Data Table
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (AFF) 14229
Mining and Quarrying (MQ) 3
Industrial (Ind) 5,263
Construction (Con) 1,341
Commercial (Com) 293,875
Household (HH) 8,397


The macro numbers above do not breakdown the component elements of tyres, but the following tyre headers in the page are a selection of those captured by local authorities handling tyres and as reported through WasteDataFlow.

Car Tyres

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 50 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.


Authority Stream Facility Operator Address Material Tonnes Reporting Year
West Lothian Source segregated recyclate Other Method Not Available Not Available Car tyres 2,436.17 Jan21 - Dec21
Cardiff County Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Atlantic Recycling Ltd Ty - To - Maen Farm, Newton Road, Rumney, Cardiff, Glamorgan Car tyres 2,350.16 Apr21 - Mar22
Inverclyde Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Not Available Not Available Car tyres 1,831.80 Jan21 - Dec21
East Riding of Yorkshire Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Credential Environmental Ltd Plots1, 2 & 7, Breighton Airfield, Breighton, Selby, North Yorkshire Car tyres 190.34 Apr21 - Mar22
Argyll & Bute Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Not Available Not Available Car tyres 188.00 Jan21 - Dec21
Greater Manchester WDA (MBC) Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Wheeldon Bros Waste Ltd Yeargate Industrial Estate, Unit 1-4 New Road, Heap Bridge, Bury, Lancashire Car tyres 152.72 Apr21 - Mar22
Buckinghamshire Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) A S M Metal Recycling Ltd A S M Metal Recycling Ltd, Griffin Lane, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Car tyres 132.47 Apr21 - Mar22
Telford and Wrekin Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) D M E Tyres Ltd Unit 1 Zone 2, Ring Road, Burntwood Business Park, Burntwood, Staffordshire Car tyres 92.24 Apr21 - Mar22
Gwynedd Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Credential Environmental Ltd Plots1, 2 & 7, Breighton Airfield, Breighton, Selby, North Yorkshire Car tyres 77.79 Apr21 - Mar22
North Yorkshire County Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Vellco Ltd Ropery Lane, Weaverthorpe, Malton, North Yorkshire Car tyres 60.87 Apr21 - Mar22
Central Bedfordshire Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Other/Exempt New Recycling Ltd - Unit F1, Airfield Industrial Estate, Cheddington Lane, Long Marston, Tring, Herts HP23 4QR Car tyres 59.11 Apr21 - Mar22
Bristol City Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) R J King & Sons Ltd Belle Vue, Pitway Lane, Farrington Gurney Car tyres 56.24 Apr21 - Mar22

Large vehicle Tyres

Below is a list of local authorities that sending this material to a single waste operator.


Authority Stream Facility Operator Address Material Tonnes Reporting Year
Pembrokeshire County Council Source segregated recyclate Exporter - recycling (qu19) Other/Exempt TD Tyre RecyclingOld Brs YeardAlltycnap RoadJohnstownCarmarthenSA31 3NE Large vehicle tyres 44.05 Apr21 - Mar22
Cambridge City and South Cambs Councils Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Envirotyre U K Ltd Reed Point, Spalding Road, Sutterton, Boston, Lincolnshire Large vehicle tyres 25.88 Apr21 - Mar22
Thurrock Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Other/Exempt Tyre Reclaim; Tyre Reclaim, Unit 12, Fulton Road, Manor Trading estate, Benfleet Large vehicle tyres 15.16 Apr21 - Mar22
Fenland District Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Credential Environmental Ltd Plots1, 2 & 7, Breighton Airfield, Breighton, Selby, North Yorkshire Large vehicle tyres 13.54 Apr21 - Mar22
East Sussex County Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Other/Exempt Large vehicle tyres 8.11 Apr21 - Mar22
East Sussex County Council Source segregated recyclate Reuse (qu35) Pountney Tyres Limited Medow Road Industrial Estate, Dale Road, Worthing, West Sussex Large vehicle tyres 7.91 Apr21 - Mar22
Buckinghamshire Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Other/Exempt 4 Lad Group; Simba Business ParkPortsmouth RoadFishers PondEastleighSouthampton Large vehicle tyres 0.12 Apr21 - Mar22

Mixed Tyres

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 1000 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.


Authority Stream Facility Operator Address Material Tonnes Reporting Year
Lancashire County Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Recycling Lives Ltd D1/ D2 Longridge Road, Red Scar Bus Park, Preston, Lancashire Mixed tyres 8,725.31 Apr21 - Mar22
Norfolk County Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Wiser Recycling Ltd St lves Resource Recovery Facility, Caxton Road, St lves, Cornwall Mixed tyres 4,205.06 Apr21 - Mar22
Cornwall Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Henry And William Henry Orchard Burnt House Garage, Dobwalls, Liskeard, Cornwall Mixed tyres 4,043.60 Apr21 - Mar22
Highland Source segregated recyclate Other Method Not Available Not Available Mixed tyres 3,251.04 Jan21 - Dec21
Inverclyde Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Not Available Not Available Mixed tyres 1,831.80 Jan21 - Dec21
Hillingdon LB Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) McGovern Brothers (Haulage) Ltd 26-27 Brent Terrace, Claremont Ind.Estate, Hendon, London Mixed tyres 1,685.00 Apr21 - Mar22
East Ayrshire Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Not Available Not Available Mixed tyres 1,154.71 Jan21 - Dec21

Van Tyres

Below is a list of local authorities that sending this material to a single waste operator.


Authority Stream Facility Operator Address Material Tonnes Reporting Year
Cambridge City and South Cambs Councils Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Envirotyre U K Ltd Reed Point, Spalding Road, Sutterton, Boston, Lincolnshire Van tyres 25.88 Apr21 - Mar22
Central Bedfordshire Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Other/Exempt New Recycling Ltd - Unit F1, Airfield Industrial Estate, Cheddington Lane, Long Marston, Tring, Herts HP23 4QR Van tyres 19.22 Apr21 - Mar22
Fenland District Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Credential Environmental Ltd Plots1, 2 & 7, Breighton Airfield, Breighton, Selby, North Yorkshire Van tyres 13.54 Apr21 - Mar22
Pembrokeshire County Council Source segregated recyclate Exporter - recycling (qu19) Other/Exempt TD Tyre RecyclingOld Brs YeardAlltycnap RoadJohnstownCarmarthenSA31 3NE Van tyres 9.56 Apr21 - Mar22
East Sussex County Council Source segregated recyclate Reprocessor - recycling (qu19) Other/Exempt Van tyres 8.11 Apr21 - Mar22

References