THE DEFINITIVE TRUCKING SITE

May 2008

All about survival - disposing of waste tyres safely is an environmental imperative

The negative environmental impact of scrap tyres on our environment has been in the spotlight for several years now and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) is in the process of promulgating legislation to ensure tyres travel from ‘cradle to grave’ in a way that does not harm our earth or our air. It has been a long process however and much confusion exists as to how the new Waste Tyre Regulation Act will affect the truck transport industry. Paul Collings uncovers some facts. 

THE URGENT NEED for South Africa to address the environmental impact of all its industries has never been more pressing and the transport industry will soon be under even closer scrutiny by government to ensure harmful exhaust emissions are curtailed and scrap tyres are safely disposed of. 

More than 50 000 new tyres are produced every day in South Africa and while many of these will have an extended life after a number of retreads, they will eventually have to be scrapped. Currently, waste tyres are predominantly dispatched to landfill sites. Many however, are regrooved for resale and find their way back onto our streets. Others are simply burnt out in the open air. Very few are safely disposed of in an environmentally safe manner, be that in a recycling plant or burnt in a cement or brick kiln. 

Legislation 

Because of the growing threat waste tyres pose to the environment and to road safety, government has drafted  he Waste Tyre Regulation Act (WTRA) which, once promulgated, will have a hefty impact on tyre manufacturers and dealers as well as transport operators. 

Clear as mud 

Instrumental in the process of getting the WTRA to be legislated is the South African Tyre Recycling Project  Company (SATRP Co), a non-profit organisation whose primary concern is to ensure the safe disposal of scrap tyres. Despite its noble intentions, the SATRP Co has come under criticism from certain quarters with claims that it is nothing more than a moneymaking scheme for tyre manufacturers and cement companies. 

The ‘money’ in question here is the proposed ‘green levy’ on new tyres sold in the country, be they locally produced or imported. According to Dr Etienne Human who heads up the SATRP Co, “There are misconceptions regarding what the SATRP Co objectives are.” 

He cites a letter published in FleetWatch (June 2007), written by a tyre dealer, which includes comments like: “…the SATRP is a complete farce, run by an individual not prepared to listen to ideas…is not participative of all players in the tyre industry…the ‘green fee’ is ludicrous…tyre manufacturers are shirking their responsibility… consumer is being forced to pay more…” 

WTRAPROJECT The SATRP Co’s Des Griffith and Etienne Human have travelled over 6000 kms to DEAT’s offices over the years to get the project moving.

Clarification 

Dr Human is quick top point out that the SATRP Co is an open forum and that all stakeholders have been invited to participate since its inception in 2001. “As far as seeking enrichment is concerned, the SATRP Co has spent in excess of R400 000 and over 40 000 man hours mobilizing the project. It is also a registered non-profit organisation. The truth is, waste tyres won’t disappear by themselves and only a commercialised model will ensure their safe disposal. This entails a cross-subsidisation process to pay for the collection and disposal of waste materials.” 

The second draft of the WTRA has been released and is open for public comment (visit www.deat.gov.za). In it is a new  mandatory requirement which tyre manufacturers have to comply with. “Tyre producers must now produce an Integrated Waste Tyre Management Plan (IWTMP) and have it vetted by DEAT in order to legally operate in South Africa,” explains Human. “The plan must demonstrate a comprehensive infrastructure that tracks the tyre from cradle to grave, ensuring that at no point there is any risk of it becoming an environmental or road safety hazard.” 

Opportunity

According to Dr Human, there is still a lot to be done before the Act takes effect. “The earliest the ‘green levy’ will be charged will be in 16 months time. Before that happens, DEAT needs to finalise and legislate the Act. Then the tender process will begin. Apart from awarding recycling contracts, DEAT will appoint one tyre transport company in each province which will be paid via the ‘green levy’ to collect scrap tyres from dealers and transport depots and deliver them to recycling points.” 

The set-up costs for such an operation could be as much as R60m, says Dr Human. “DEAT will be looking at established businesses that have the resources to buy the necessary vehicles like 35-ton tippers and LDVs, loading machines, tyre shredding equipment and weighbridges. The current annual volume of scrap tyres across all vehicles is in excess of 170 000 tons.” 

Myth busting

With the proposed ‘green levy’ on truck tyres is pegged at around R140 per tyre, this could increase by the time the legislation kicks in. “There is a belief among some tyre dealers and fleet owners that they can gain financially from their scrap casings. This is not the case. Nobody will be paid for scrap tyres. The moment you pay for scrap tyres, you kill the process!” stresses Dr Human. “While contributing to a healthier environment and job creation, tyre dealers and transporters will no longer have to pay for the removal of their scrap tyres.” 

Bottom line 

The WTRA is about securing a healthier planet for our children. As Dr Human puts it, “leaving the management of the recycling process to treasury, as is the case in the plastic bag industry, will not achieve the desired effect. The process will be privately managed and independently audited. The ‘green levies’ will collected from the tyre manufacturers by the appointed auditing firm. No one in the SATRP Co will get a single cent from the levy.” 

Now that’s sorted, we await the rollout. Good luck tendering!