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Contents

• Download the report as a PDF
• Tables
• Figures
• Executive Summary
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Part I. Background to the Tyre and Rubber Industry
• 1 Introduction
• 1.1 Background to study
• 2 Overview of the Waste Tyre Problem
• 3 The Tyre Industry
• 3.1 Tyre industry associations
• 3.2 Relationship with other industry sectors
• 3.3 Tyre manufacturers
• 3.4 Tyre importers
• 3.5 Tyre dealers and retailers
• 3.6 Collectors/transporters
• 3.7 Retreaders
• 3.8 Reprocessors
• 3.9 Tyre derived fuel
• 3.10 Discussion
• 4 Market Considerations
• 4.1 Purchase of tyres
• 4.1.1 General considerations
• 4.1.2 Retail prices and decisions
• 4.2 Charges associated with waste tyres
• 5 Regulatory and Policy Frameworks
• 5.1 Regulation for environmental protection
• 5.2 Government actions to promote the waste hierarchy
• 5.2.1 General
• 5.2.2 Region specific issues
• 6 Environmental Aspects of the Tyre and Rubber Industry
• 6.1 Raw materials
• 6.1.1 Natural rubber
• 6.1.2 Synthetic rubber
• 6.1.3 Resource depletion
• 6.2 Manufacture
• 6.3 Use
• 6.3.1 Noise from tyres
• 6.3.2 Dust
• 6.3.3 Fuel Consumption
• 6.4 Recycling and reuse
• 6.4.1 Impacts of retreading tyres
• 6.4.2 Impacts of tyres used in marine environments
• 6.4.3 Impacts of tyres in energy recovery
• 6.5 Disposal
• 6.5.1 Impacts of tyres in landfill and mines
• 6.5.2 Impacts of tyres on land – uncontrolled
• 6.5.3 Impacts and risks of waste tyre stockpiles
• 6.6 Transportation
• 6.7 Preliminary life cycle assessment of tyres and selected waste tyre management options
• 6.7.1 Manufacture
• 6.7.2 Recycling
• 6.7.3 Crumbing and shredding
• 6.7.4 Material reclaim
• 6.7.5 Surface modification
• 6.7.6 Energy recovery
• 7 Material Flows in the Tyre and Rubber Industries
• 7.1 Sources and quality of data
• 7.2 Units of measure and classification
• 7.3 Are more accurate data required?
• 7.4 Summary of world rubber market
• 7.5 Sources of waste in the rubber industry
• 7.6 Summary and trends in international waste tyre use
• 7.7 Flows of tyres and other rubber products in Australia
• 7.8 Australian waste tyre quantities and fate
• 7.9 State and Territory waste tyre quantities and fate
• 7.10 Trends and future issues for tyres
• 7.11 Effect on trends in waste tyres due to changes in the types of vehicles
• 8 Practices for Managing Waste Tyres
• 8.1 The waste management hierarchy
• 8.2 General operational requirements
• 8.2.1 Collection, transport and storage
• 8.2.2 Shredding
• 8.3 Waste avoidance
• 8.3.1 Reducing the distance travelled
• 8.3.2 Reducing the rate of wear
• 8.4 Reuse
• 8.4.1 Used tyres
• 8.4.2 Retreading
• 8.5 Recycling
• 8.5.1 Crumbing
• 8.5.2 Devulcanisation and surface treatment
• 8.5.3 Pyrolysis
• 8.6 Energy recovery
• 8.7 Whole tyres
• 8.8 Discussion
• 9 Findings of Part I
• Part II. Analysis of Policy Options
• 1 Introduction
• 1.1 Scope and focus of Part II
• 1.1.1 Non-tyre rubber waste
• 1.1.2 Differences between tyres
• 1.2 Why a national approach?
• 1.3 Objective and justification
• 1.4 Market failure
• 1.5 Extended producer responsibility
• 1.6 Options
• 1.6.1 The base case
• 1.7 Structure of the report
• 2 Take Back Schemes
• 2.1 Design considerations
• 2.2 Producer responsibility organisations
• 2.3 Other matters
• 2.4 Conclusions
• 3 Waste Avoidance
• 3.1 The opportunity
• 3.2 Impediments
• 3.2.1 Purchase decisions
• 3.2.2 Tyre maintenance
• 3.2.3 Importation of used tyres
• 3.3 Options for waste avoidance
• 3.3.1 Option 1: Purchase decisions
• 3.3.2 Option 2: Tyre maintenance
• 3.3.3 Option 3: Importation of used tyres
• 3.4 Assessment
• 3.4.1 Option 1: Purchase decisions
• 3.4.2 Option 2: Tyre maintenance
• 3.4.3 Option 3: Importation of used tyres
• 3.5 A national approach?
• 4 Reducing Inappropriate Tyre Disposal
• 4.1 The opportunity
• 4.2 The impediments
• 4.3 Options for tyre disposal
• 4.3.1 Option 1: Tracking scheme
• 4.3.2 Option 2: National uniform regulation
• 4.3.3 Option 3: Payment at point of delivery
• 4.3.4 Option 4: Environmental rating scheme for tyre dealers
• 4.4 Assessment
• 4.4.1 Option 1: Tracking scheme
• 4.4.2 Option 2: National uniform regulation
• 4.4.3 Option 3: Payment at point of delivery
• 4.4.4 Option 4: Environmental rating scheme for tyre dealers
• 4.5 A national approach?
• 5 Improved Value from Waste Tyres - Managing the Resource
• 5.1 The opportunity
• 5.2 Impediments
• 5.3 Options for managing the resource
• 5.3.1 Option 1: Legislative support for tied agreements
• 5.3.2 Option 2: Centralised market scheme
• 5.4 Assessment
• 5.4.1 Option 1: Legislative support for tied agreements
• 5.4.2 Option 2: Centralised market scheme
• 5.4.3 Retreads
• 5.5 A national approach?
• 6 Improved Value from Waste Tyres - Industry Assistance
• 6.1 The opportunity
• 6.2 The impediments
• 6.3 Options for industry assistance
• 6.3.1 Option 1: Direct regulation in regard to products
• 6.3.2 Option 2: Direct assistance to recyclers
• 6.3.3 Option 3: Controls on landfills
• 6.3.4 Option 4: Market promotion
• 6.3.5 Option 5: Government purchasing policies
• 6.3.6 Option 6: Funding for research and development
• 6.4 Assessment
• 6.4.1 Option 1: Direct regulation in regard to products
• 6.4.2 Option 2: Direct assistance to recyclers
• 6.4.3 Option 3: Controls at landfills
• 6.4.4 Option 4: Market promotion
• 6.4.5 Option 5: Government purchasing policies
• 6.4.6 Option 6: Funding of research and development
• 6.5 A national approach?
• 7 Funding
• 7.1 Options for funding
• 7.1.1 Option 1: Disbursements from Consolidated Fund
• 7.1.2 Option 2: Levy
• 7.2 Form of levy
• 7.2.1 Ad valorem versus unit/weight based levy
• 7.2.2 Per tyre or per weight
• 7.2.3 Should the levy be applied to retreads?
• 7.2.4 Tyres fitted to vehicles
• 7.3 Operation of the levy
• 7.3.1 Product stewardship based scheme
• 7.3.2 State operated scheme
• 7.3.3 Industry-operated scheme
• 7.4 Costs and benefits
• 7.4.1 Distribution of costs
• 8 Waste Tyres That Need Special Consideration
• 8.1 The opportunity
• 8.2 The impediments
• 8.3 Options for waste tyres that need special consideration
• 8.4 Assessment
• 8.4.1 Option 1: Collection of tyres for subsequent transfer
• 8.4.2 Option 2: Low fixed cost technologies
• 8.4.3 Waste tyres at mine sites
• 8.5 A national approach?
• 9 Summary
• Appendix 1 Uncontrolled Tyre Fires
• Appendix 2 Clean-up Costs for Tyre Dumps
• Bibliography

  Tables

  Part I. Background to the Tyre and Rubber Industry

• Table 3.1 Summary of the tyre industry
• Table 4.1 Summary of landfill gate fees – passenger tyres a
• Table 5.1 Summary of regulatory frameworks
• Table 6.1 Summary of the potential impacts at each stage of the life cycle of a tyre or other rubber product
• Table 6.2 The potential environmental impacts of materials used in tyres and other rubber products
• Table 6.3 Impact of tyres in use
• Table 6.4 Environmental impacts from retreading
• Table 6.5 Comparison of energy generated and greenhouse gas emissions between tyres and other fuels
• Table 6.6 Environmental impacts of tyre stockpiles
• Table 6.7 Energy used in transport task
• Table 6.8 Transport distance before the energy from transport exceeds the energy recoverable from the tyre
• Table 6.9 Energy and greenhouse emissions associated with the raw materials used in tyres and other rubber products
• Table 6.10 Energy and greenhouse emissions to produce tyres
• Table 7.1 Basis of equivalent passenger unit (EPU) measure
• Table 7.2 Breakdown of natural and synthetic rubber usage
• Table 7.3 Estimated utilisation of waste tyres in the US market (millions of tyres)
• Table 7.4 Fate of waste tyres in selected countries
• Table 7.5 Fate of waste tyres in various countries
• Table 7.6 Quantity of tyres generated by state and estimated fate for the year 2000
• Table 7.7 Model estimates for number of waste tyres for Australian States and Territories disaggregated by urban and country regions nominally for the year 2000
• Table 7.8 Relationship between the number of tyres generated and transport task for different truck types
• Table 8.1 Methods used in retreading
• Table 8.2 Application and market potential of rubber crumb in Australia
• Table 8.3 Quantity of rubber used in different road applications
• Table 8.4 Summary of de-vulcanisation and surface treatment processes
• Table 8.5 Market potential for some of the major products from pyrolysis
• Table 8.6 Options for energy recovery from waste tyres in Australia

  Part II Analysis of Policy Options

• Table 3.1 Findings from the NRMA survey of tyre conditions
• Table 4.1 Estimated cost of the WTF system in SA (development phase)
• Table 8.1 Cost estimates for the management of large earth moving tyres
• Table 9.1 Summary of take back options
• Table 9.2 Summary for waste avoidance options
• Table 9.3 Summary for options to reduce inappropriate disposal
• Table 9.4 Summary of options for improved value from waste tyres - industry assistance
• Table 9.5 Summary of options for improved value from waste tyres - industry assistance
• Table 9.6 Summary of funding options
• Table A1.1 Summary of dollar costs of fighting tyre fires
• Table A2.1 Clean-up Costs for Tyre Dumps ($/tyre)

  Figures

  Part I. Background to the Tyre and Rubber Industry

• Figure 6.1 The life cycle of a tyre
• Figure 6.2 Percent of dwellings exposed to traffic noise in capital cities in Australia
• Figure 6.3 Relationship of greenhouse gas emissions to transport task for different modes of transport
• Figure 6.4 Estimated aggregate greenhouse emissions for transporting the entire 18 million EPU of waste tyres by various modes of transport
• Figure 6.5 Estimated overall energy saving from retreading tyres
• Figure 6.6 Energy to process waste rubber to different final particle sizes
• Figure 7.1 Trends in waste tyre generation and use in the US
• Figure 7.2 Trends in waste tyre generation and use in the UK
• Figure 7.3 Estimated number of passenger tyres in Australia - year 2000 (numbers of tyres)
• Figure 7.4 Estimated number of light commercial tyres – year 2000 (numbers of tyres)
• Figure 7.5 Estimated number of truck and bus tyres – year 2000 (numbers of tyres)
• Figure 7.6 Estimated mass of off-the-road (OTR) and agricultural tyres – year 2000 (tonnes)
• Figure 7.7 Estimated breakdown of the number of waste tyres
• Figure 7.8 Estimated breakdown of the fate of waste tyres
• Figure 7.9 The estimated number of waste tyres generated and their fate in the States and Territories of Australia
• Figure 7.10 Preliminary estimates of the trend over time in the number of waste tyres generated in Australia
• Figure 8.1 Effect of low pressure on tyre life
• Figure 8.2 Recycling and energy recovery processes

  Part II Analysis of Policy Options

• Figure 6.1 Effects of increasing landfill gate fees (illustrative figures only)

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