04 TYRE GRAVEYARD

Sulaibiya Tyre Graveyard, Central Kuwait

Waste tyres are known as "black waste", a name given to them not only because of their colour but also because of their ability to pollute. Since the 1980s, waste tyres have been piled up in the open desert in some cities in Kuwait, with the oldest tyres having been there for more than 30 years. The old tyres have not been disposed of, and new ones are being transported to the area in a steady stream, creating a "tyre graveyard".

In early August 2021, shocking news came out of Kuwait. A fire broke out at the site where more than 50 million waste tyres were stored, sending smoke into the air and making the scene look like a "nuclear explosion". The fire was at a waste tyre dump in Sulaybia, Kuwait, the world's largest waste tyre dump, covering an area of 600,000 m², where waste tyres were piled up to a height of more than three storeys.

As a country close to the equator, temperatures in Kuwait are normally around 45°C in summer and can even reach a maximum of around 50°C. A surface temperature of over 70 degrees is perfectly normal for this country. The fire in Kuwait was linked to the hot weather and it is possible that the heat ignited something flammable, which then ignited the tyres and caused the blaze.

The pollution released from these tyres is is something that can have a global impact.

As waste tyres burn, they release large amounts of black smoke, which contains carcinogenic dioxins. They can enter the soil and also damage the ecological environment.

Background Burning Tyres In Kuwait

On 4 August 2022 it was reported that a fire broke out at the world's largest waste tyre dump in Kuwait. Satellite images show flames covering six acres (about 24,000 square metres) and toxic smoke visible from space over the dump. Fires from waste tyres are not unusual in Kuwait and have broken out several times in recent years. The toxic fumes from these tyres can cause huge damage to the environment.