Bonn, March 02.03.2023nd, 480 In Germany, old tires are regularly dumped illegally in nature. The ZARE initiative documents these cases. In Saarlouis, 1000 tires were recently illegally disposed of by unknown perpetrators. The city will pay $XNUMX for tips.
Whether on forest paths, fields, in bushes or other unsuitable storage areas - illegal disposal of used tires is punishable by law and poses a risk to people and the environment. However, the number of cases is increasing every year. Recently, for example, there was a large-scale illegal dumping of tires in the district town of Saarlouis: within a few weeks, a total of 480 tires were illegally dumped in nature at five locations in Saarlouis, including on the edge of a field on the Lisdorfer Berg. The city suspects a commercial background. The city is offering a $1.000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.
Saarlouis is not an isolated case: Illegal disposal of used tires is a problem throughout Germany. The ZARE initiative documents these cases on the website www.zertisierte-alreifenentsorger.de. The polluters are threatened with hefty fines: Depending on the federal state, a single illegally disposed old tire is subject to a fine of up to 300 euros. Often, however, those responsible cannot be caught and the municipalities are left with the costs of disposing of the tires. The taxpayer foots the bill.
Illegal disposal of used tires harms the environment
Tires are made of rubber, steel, textile and other substances and do not rot. A tire that is illegally stored in nature today will still be there in 100 years if it is not disposed of. It has therefore been forbidden in Germany to land tires since 2003. Water and dirt in seasoned tires attract pests that can transmit diseases. Illegal accumulations of tires also increase the risk of fires. For all these reasons, "wild landfills" are not a trivial offense. In order to protect the environment and use resources, tires must be disposed of properly.
Waste tire disposal in line with the circular economy
Certified waste disposal companies have the expertise to properly sort old tires and route them to the most sustainable recycling methods - this includes retreading, export as used tires as well as material and thermal recycling. Material recycling is preferable to thermal recycling for environmental reasons and is becoming more and more important: Used tires are broken down into their components, crushed into rubber granules or rubber powder and processed into new products such as green roof systems, floor coverings, road asphalt or sealing materials. Professional tire recycling by certified disposal companies is a step towards circular economy: tire recycling allows valuable raw materials such as old tires to be used for as long as possible and less waste is produced.
About the ZARE initiative
The ZARE initiative is an amalgamation of 19 companies organized in the Federal Association of Tire Trade and Vulcanizing Trades (BRV), 17 of which are certified waste management companies. The ZARE partners have set themselves the task of raising awareness of professional tire recycling in Germany. ZARE informs drivers about the environmentally friendly disposal of used tires. At 26 locations, the ZARE partners cover almost all of Germany and the Netherlands.
The partners of the initiative are:
Allgemeine Gummiwertstoff und Reifenhandels GmbH, Bender Reifen Recycling GmbH, CVS Reifen GmbH, Danninger OHG Spezialtransporte, G & K Recycling Utsch GmbH, Hartung Speditions-, Handels- und Transport GmbH, HRV GmbH, KARGRO BV, KRAIBURG Austria GmbH & Co. KG, KURZ Karkassenhandel GmbH, Mondo Reifenmarkt GmbH, MRH Mülsener Rohstoff- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH, NZ-Entsorgung eK, PVP Triptis GmbH, Reifen DRAWS GmbH, Reifen Külshammer, Reifengruppe Ruhr, REIFEN OKA - Reifenhandel, Reifen Recyclingbetrieb Brenz GmbH, TireTech GmbH
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Image 1: zare_location_map_illegale-tire-disposal
Caption 1: The ZARE initiative's "illegal deposits of scrap tyres" map.
Source: ZARE initiative
Image 2: KRAIBURG Relastec_Green roof systems
Caption 2: Natural climate regulation through green roof systems.
Source: KRAIBURG Relastec
