The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) welcome the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Policy Paper update regarding the reform of the waste exemptions system, which signal the end of the T8 exemption for the processing of waste tyres is now imminent. While the announcement is a positive reaffirmation of intent to end the much exploited loophole, the TRA want to see immediate clarification on the precise timeline for implementation and have concerns over contradictory new permitting charges related to T8 announced at the start of the month.
Peter Taylor OBE, Secretary General of the Tyre Recovery Association, said:
“The Defra waste Policy Paper is very welcome. It is good to see the intention to remove the T8 exemption stated so clearly. We have been campaigning for this for a long time. It is a crucial step towards preventing the uncontrolled and environmentally damaging export of whole end-of-life tyres from the UK. However, the exact timeline for this change, particularly regarding the ‘three-month transition period (time until regulations come into force, once made)” mentioned, requires urgent clarity. Our industry needs a firm, unequivocal date of when those regulations are made to properly prepare for and implement these vital reforms.”
Adding to the complexity, the TRA notes the policy was release two weeks after guidance was issued announcing new permitting charges for T8 exemptions.
Commenting on this, Peter Taylor said:
“It seems contradictory to introduce new charges for an exemption that is simultaneously being phased out. This lack of clear messaging creates confusion within the industry and risks undermining the very reforms we need if the government are going to achieve their objective of the zero-waste circular economy.”
“We have seen the EURIC make a definitive announcement to end the export of whole end-of-life tyres, recognising the severe environmental and social impacts this practice inflicts on importing nations.”
“Currently, the arbitrary and subjective definition of waste often allows for dangerous loopholes, enabling millions of UK waste tyres to be exported to nations like India, where too often they do not end up at the stated destination on the export licence.”
“It is not only sensible but essential for the UK to reform its waste export regulations in lockstep with the EU,”
The TRA’s call for clarity and robust reform is further amplified by significant developments in European EURIC set out the pathway to ending ELT exports. The TRA is calling on the UK government to align its policies with its European partners, Peter Taylor said:
“It is not only sensible but essential for the UK to reform its waste export regulations in lockstep with the EU. Without such alignment, we risk simply displacing the problem, allowing unscrupulous operators to find new routes for illegal and environmentally destructive exports. A unified approach is critical to genuinely tackle this issue and ensure that our waste is managed responsibly, both at home and abroad.”
The TRA remains committed to working closely with Defra, the Environment Agency, and Members of Parliament, who has been vocal on the issue, to ensure that the UK’s waste tyre management policies are robust, transparent and sustainable.
