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Waste
tyres create many social issues:
Pollution
Four major pollution problems will be virtually eliminated once
a proper waste tyre collection process is in place:
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Water retention and mosquitoes - Tyres form an
ideal receptacle for water, which remains there for long periods, becoming
ideal breeding grounds for insects including mosquitoes. Different strains
of malaria are spreading throughout the country. Spraying these tyres is
costly and ineffective. Vermin also breed under waste tyres.
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“During the 1990s, the rapid proliferation of the disease in Brazil
seemed to coincide with increasing imports of used/retreaded
tyres, In 1992 Brazil imported 5 862 metric tons of used/retreaded tyres and
reported 1 658 cases of the dengue disease.
While imports had increased six fold by 1998, the incidence of dengue
increased to 528 388 cases.” (Secretariat of the Basel Convention on
waste control)
Dengue is a tropical disease transmitted by mosquitoes, causing sudden
fever and acute pains in the joints.
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Fire – A large stockpile of waste tyres forms a
serious fire hazard and once burning, is virtually impossible to
extinguish.
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| Smoke –
Waste tyres are burnt to recover the steel. Acrid smoke generated from
burning tyres causes respiratory problems, pollutes the air and is a hazard for aircraft landing at major
airports. Smoke also causes major road accidents.
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| Waste tyre stockpiles – Unsightly
stockpiles reduce the value of
property. |
Problems
encountered with disposal of waste tyres:
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Illegal
Burning to recover steel wire |
Tyres
are burnt by the informal sector to recover the steel content. For this they only receive
a few cents per tyre.
This produces major pollution of the air in SA.
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Dumped in the veldt.
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Waste
tyres dumped in the veldt have harmful health implications by creating
ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, rodents and other insects.
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Landfill
sites not accepting tyres.
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Landfill
sites are filling up at an alarming rate and they either no longer accept
tyres or
charge a fee of up to R15 per tyre or R150 per ton or more.
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Increased
road accidents
due to illegal tyres.
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Waste
tyres sold as second hand tyres by unqualified people create
unsafe vehicles
on our roads. Department of Transport report that up to 53% of vehicle component failure accidents are caused by
tyre failure. The use of second hand tyres is considered the biggest
contributor. Owners of tyres discard them as being either worn or damaged.
These are collected, patched or re-grooved and fitted by unscrupulous traders
to vehicles often with fatal results. These tyres burst soon after fitting and
people get killed in the process. The root of this evil will be removed once
the waste tyre collection starts.
Advantages of the
proposed Integrated Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan for:
The tyre consumer:
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Providing an environmentally friendly way of removing the
burden from owners of vehicles for the dumping of waste tyre |
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Removing unsafe tyres
presently being offered for sale to the vehicle
owners |
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Reducing accidents on the road with associated loss of life,
injuries and huge costs. |
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Reducing in the long run, third party and vehicle insurance
costs |
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Through the Green Fee providing a
least-cost method of dealing
with waste tyres as per international standards. |
The public and
previously disadvantaged people:
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Removing waste tyres
presently being burnt in the veldt, next to
schools, houses, clinics and airfields causing toxic fumes especially in
informal settlements |
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Removing waste tyres in the veldt catching rain water and
breeding mosquitoes and rodents |
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Preventing
unsightly waste tyres dumped in and around townships
and the veldt |
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Removing waste tyres used for
re-grooving and repairing by
unscrupulous people |
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Plan proving Producer Responsibility by the suppliers to the
market is feasible and setting of examples to other commodity providers |
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Creating sustainable jobs in the formal transport and
processing of waste tyres. The waste tyre processing industry will at last
have a possibility of becoming economically sustainable. |
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Smaller operations making stamped and cut products such as
sandals and mats will have access to raw material |
| Projects will cater for planned
future removal of waste stockpiles in
and around townships. |
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Flow of waste tyres from tyre dealers into the informal
settlements will stop reducing the burden of waste in the areas |
To Government:
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Starting a
Producer Responsibility plan which is a new concept
in SA |
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Starting towards the Polokwane Declaration reducing waste
towards zero by 2022. |
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Major reduction of burden on land filling sites throughout the
country. |
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This
plan, together with the Waste Tyre Regulation form the basis of
the new Waste Management Act. |
To tyre dealers:
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Plan provides national solution to removing waste tyres from
the commercial hierarchy |
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Huge money saving
through free removal of waste tyres from the dealerships |
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Industry
taking ownership of responsible removal of waste and
converting it to something useful. |
| Plan removes illegitimate tyres from the system plaguing the
industry and causing accidents |
The tyre and
vehicle supply industry:
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Well planned initiative to deal with
waste tyres in
world class terms and in the most economic and environmental friendly manner. |
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Plan
will assist in conformance to ISO 14000 in terms of environmental
management |
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Contribute
to the reduction of pollution and accidents on the roads
and reducing liabilities. |
Click
here to see some products that can be made from waste tyres
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