Michelin Australia has made a conscious decision to support the Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA), a not for profit organisation, as we believe in the creation of sustainable industry practices relating to the environment as a priority.
At the heart of what we seek to achieve globally is our commitment to the development of sustainable transport solutions. While innovations such as fuel efficient tyres and longer lasting tyres already make a substantial contribution, we also have a responsibility to find the best solution once our tyres reach the end of their lifecycles.
This is in line with the objectives of the Tyre Stewardship Australia, and as a founding member, why we fully support the scheme.
About TSA
TSA has been formed to implement the National Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme to promote the development of viable markets for end-of-life tyres. The Scheme is targeting the ongoing challenge in Australia where over 56 million passenger car tyres are reaching the end of their useful life each year.
This will have the multiple benefits of transforming a waste product into a useful commodity, creating new industries and employment opportunities while also reducing the environmental harm caused by the illegal dumping of old tyres.
Only 10 per cent of the 56 million EPUs discarded annually in Australia are presently recycled locally. Nearly 30 per cent are exported for re-use, processing or consumption as a tyre derived fuel. The rest are disposed to landfill, stockpiled, or illegally dumped.
The Tyre Stewardship Scheme provides an ACCC authorised, government supported, industry framework to effectively reduce the environmental, health and safety impacts of the 56 million EPUs which reach the end of their life in Australia each year.
There is a wide range of usages for end-of-life tyres and tyre-derived products, such as for road surfacing, soft fall playground surfacing, brake pads, industrial and commercial flooring, explosives, or in civil engineering and for fuels for energy recovery.
TSA is made up of representatives from the whole Australian tyre industry including tyre manufacturers, retailers, recyclers, collectors, fleet operators and local governments. TSA members also include the Australian Motor Industry Federation.
Michelin Australia’s additional commitments as a member of TSA
- Contribute funding to support the administration and activities of TSA.
- Provide data to TSA on the tyres and number of tyres imported, as directed by the TSA;
- Only import tyres (that is, loose replacements) that are compliant with the relevant Australian standards; and
- Promote participation in the Scheme to businesses and other organisations to which they supply tyres, including through the development of an Action Plan.
Mission & Objectives
Mission
The mission of the Tyre Stewardship Scheme is to reduce the volume of end-of-life tyres currently being disposed of in an environmentally damaging way e.g. landfill, illegal dumping or undesirable export.
The mission of the Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme is to reduce the amount of end of life tyres damaging the environment via landfill, illegal dumping or undesirable export while increasing the recycling rate of end of life tyres.
The outcome is to increase the recycling rate of used tyres through the promotion of various other economic uses. In 2013-14, only 5 per cent of end of life tyres were recycled in Australia*. The immediate aim of the Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme, administered by the TSA, is to increase the recycling rate to 50 per cent over five years.
Objectives
The objectives of the Tyre Stewardship Scheme are to:
- Increase resource recovery and recycling and minimise the environmental, health and safety impacts of end-of-life tyres generated in Australia
- Develop Australia’s tyre recycling industry and markets for tyre derived products
- Increased consumer awareness of the impact of end of life tyres disposal.
The objectives of the scheme will be achieved through industry participation at all levels of the tyre supply chain and government support.
The ACCC authorisation of a small levy on the sale of new tyres and the broad industry participation in the scheme will ensure the viability of both the scheme and the economic foundation providing encouragement for new uses of recycled end-of-life tyres.
Please visit: www.tyrestewardship.org.au for more information.