Tyre producer Sumitomo Rubber South Africa has reiterated that there is an urgent need for a comprehensive waste tyre management plan to guide dealers. 

“There needs to be a solid protocol for all tyre dealers to ensure that, once second-hand waste tyres are correctly mutilated and have been assigned for waste pick up from their stores, they do not resurface in the market,” Sumitomo Rubber South Africa CEO Lubin Ozoux says.

He says concerns persist about the lack of a comprehensive Tyre Waste Management Plan in South Africa, with the draft Section 29 Integrated Industry Waste Management Plan for Tyres still pending finalisation.

“Waste tyres present environmental hazards owing to their large volume and slow decomposition rate, leading to visual pollution and potential health risks when they accumulate in landfills or are illegally dumped,” he states.

An estimated 63% of second-hand tyres sold in the country are illegal and unfit for road use, with between 750 000 to 900 000 of the 1.5-million to two-million tyres in the second-hand tyre market being illegal and posing a threat to road safety.

“Recycling and proper disposal methods are crucial to minimise the adverse consequences of waste tyres. Additionally, ensuring that retreaded and part worn tyres meet safety standards is vital for preventing accidents and maintaining roadworthiness,” Ozoux states.

Further, the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference has been collaborating with the Tyre Importers Association of South Africa, the Tyre Equipment Parts Association and the government to ensure steps are taken to drive improvements and sustainability in collection and processing of tyre waste.

Some pressure has been released by identifying additional municipal landfill sites to serve as temporary storage facilities in Limpopo province, one in the Lepelle-Nkumpi municipality and two under Polokwane municipality.

However, a longer-term solution is needed, says Ozoux.

Meanwhile, tyre distributor Orion Auto & Tyre says its waste tyres are collected regularly, either weekly or every second week. However, there have been occasional disruptions in collection owing to storage facility constraints.

Further, there is a significant lack of transparency from the relevant authorities on whether these products are being transformed into new products or used as a source of energy.

The dealer is also concerned about waste tyre fees, which are typically included in invoiced pricing from suppliers, and it is calling for greater transparency in the use of these levies.

“This lack of information hampers efforts to establish sustainable waste management practices in the tyre industry,” says Orion Auto & Tyre owner Shaun Radbone.