Hauliers call on Minister to engage on new tyre waste management proposals

FTA Ireland (FTAI) has called on Environment Minister, Alan Kelly to engage in dialogue with the haulage industry on the implementation of the new Producer Responsibility Initiative (PRI) for waste tyres.

FTAI was commenting on reports on HGVIreland.com that Environment Minister, Alan Kelly, is poised to introduce new waste management regulations that could see haulage operators pay up to €25 to dispose of every waste tyre.

Neil McDonnell, FTA Ireland General Manager, said: “FTAI was not consulted on proposals to amend the waste tyre regime, and while we welcome any measures to tackle the problem of tyre disposal, we need to see and understand the detail of any Department of Environment (DECLG) proposals.”

FTAI says that the imposition of an Environmental Management Charge (EMC) on truck tyres would simply increase the local cost, thus encouraging users to move their tyre purchasing into Northern Ireland, or Britain, where the EMC would not apply. And in the absence of a structured return mechanism for old tyres, the environmental problem would remain unresolved.

McDonnell concluded: “For any tyre recycling measure to be effective, the Department will have to ensure that a functioning return mechanism for end of life tyres is provided to operators who pay an EMC, as is currently the case for waste electrical products in Ireland. Unless this is done, we will simply see an increase in the cost of tyres bought in Ireland, without improving the recycling of old tyres. Minister Kelly needs to come out now with workable proposals for the industry.”