RECYCLING
Driving sustainable practices in the
tyre industry It is estimated that millions of waste tyres are lying in South African dumps, as stockpiles, or simply scattered across residential, industrial and rural areas.
S
outh Africa’s recycling rate for vehicle tyres increased from 4% to 60% in the space of three years after the implementation of the Waste Tyre Management Plan. The strategy was developed where used tyres were collected from dealers, brought to dedicated depots, and then transpor ted to processing plants for recycling. All activities were funded by introducing a tax instrument that placed a levy on all new tyres. The environmental tyre levy, which is implemented through the Customs and Excise Act (No. 91 of 1964), allows for: • the tyre manufacturing industr y to pay the levy directly to the South African Revenue Ser vice, for depositing into the National Revenue Fund, as with all other environmentalrelated taxes.
Bridgestone has introduced the new Ecopia tyres, which are environmentfriendly and fuel-efficient 26
AUGUST 2021
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ReSource
• t he revenue raised through the levy to be appropriated to the Depar tment of Forestr y, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) via the national budgeting and appropriations process, for funding the implementation of the tyre waste management programme to contribute to reducing waste tyre disposal on landfills and to build a viable circular economy from the recycling of endof-life tyres. A fee of R2.30/kg is levied on all new tyre rubber. The proceeds are used to establish infrastructure for tyre collecting and downcycling, and pay for its administration. The DFFE is the current custodian of the industr ywide plan.
The SATMC Nduduzo Chala, managing executive at the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC), says local tyre manufacturers have always suppor ted the implementation of the levy to fund the proper treatment and disposal of waste tyres. “It is critical for the tyre industr y to ensure that waste tyres are disposed of correctly in order to limit the impact on the environment and ensure that they do not find a way back into the market,” he says.
