"Seeking Solutions for Waste Tyres" was a stakeholder dialogue process funded by the RMC Environment Fund and managed by The Environment Council that brought together government, regulators, tyre manufacturing and recovery sectors to facilitate the transition away from landfill to responsible recovery and disposal of used tyres.

This complex, long term dialogue formed an important part of the Environment Agency’s Tyre Watch Programme, set up to address illegal activity and encourage sustainable recovery of tyres in advance of the Landfill ban of whole tyres in 2003 and shredded tyres in 2006.

As part of the dialogue, working groups looked into specific issues such as remediation of historic stockpiles, education and enforcement of the Duty of Care, the definition of waste as applied to tyres, and exemptions from waste management licensing. The outputs from each working group are available for download here:

An evaluation was produced at the end of the process to assess the dialogue’s impact and identify future learning.

After the dialogue ended in 2004, stakeholders began to look at overcoming market barriers - how to stimulate existing and new recovery activities for waste tyres. WRAP (Waste Resources Action Programme) then took over this dialogue activity as part of their remit to encourage markets for waste products.

For further information please contact Eva Beresford via email or alternatively call 020 7632 0108.