Like all vehicles and their components, a tyre will eventually wear out and need disposing of.
As this is a more regular occurrence with tyres, there needs to be a structure in place to take them out of circulation once used.
Here in Ireland, a system has been established, by which tyres are recovered from the retailers and directed towards recycling facilities through a company called Circol ELT, based in Dublin.
The remit of the company is not to recycle tyres itself, but to ensure that sustainable outcomes for end of life tyres are found, as well as oversee the functioning of the 2017 regulations introduced by the government to ensure tyres are disposed of properly.
The humble tyre
It operates under the approval of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) and seeks effective management of tyre waste using environmentally responsible methods.
There is a national tyre compliance scheme which helps any business selling tyres, whether as a retailer or already fitted to a vehicle, comply with its obligations under the tyre regulations.
Members of the scheme can have a passenger car, 4×4, van or motorcycle collected free of charge, once all reporting and membership requirements are up to date.
The fee for this service is collected at the time of tyre purchase.
Presently, it is just car and motorcycle tyres that are included in the scheme, with a fixed fee of €2.80 for cars and €1.50 for motorcycles.
20 tyre categories planned
However, that will be changing at some point in the not too distant future as it is intended to enlarge the scheme to include all tyres, with up to 20 different categories, in addition to the two already in place.
Currently, there is an ongoing consultation with the trade and other interested parties as to quite how tyres should be categorised and how much each category should collect as a disposal fee.
Tractor and truck tyres are to be included in the scheme, but no decisions as yet have been made as to what the disposal fees will be, hence the consultation, yet it is likely that tyre size will be a major factor, so the front and rear tyres will hold a different cost.
There is also a move to hold tyre collection events for farmers, where surplus car tyres from silage pits can be taken for free disposal.
Details will be announced when dates and venues have been finalised.