Bonn, September 12.09.2023th, XNUMX Due to ongoing reports of illegal dumping of used tires and the dramatic increase in waste tire disposal outside of Europe, the ZARE initiative (Certified Waste Tire Disposer) would like to urgently point out the collection points for used tires to only work with certified waste disposal companies.
Tire dealers, vehicle repair shops and car dealerships are the first point of contact for drivers and fleet operators when it comes to disposing of their used tires. This means they are also responsible for ensuring proper recycling. “We want to support companies in behaving in an environmentally friendly and responsible manner,” explains Christina Guth from the ZARE initiative. This requires cooperation with certified waste disposal companies.
Dispose of responsibly
Environmentally friendly disposal of old tires can only be guaranteed by specialist companies. According to current figures, around 200.000 tons of old tires from Germany are burned unregulated in cement plants in the Middle East every year. This means that the tires end up at the bottom of the waste hierarchy, even though they could still be used for other purposes. The enormous CO2 emissions result in high and unnecessary environmental pollution. This approach contradicts Germany’s climate goals. However, through proper disposal, it is possible to keep used tires in the sustainable recycling cycle within Germany and to use them in the most sustainable way. Certified waste disposal companies first sort the tires professionally before they are recycled according to their condition. The first priority here is retreading, which turns used tires into a high-quality and attractively priced product. Other solutions that can be handled by specialist companies in Germany include export as used tires as well as material, chemical and thermal recycling. Thanks to material recycling, rubber granules and rubber powder are obtained, among other things - both products provide a basis for the production of floor coverings, road asphalt or sealing materials. During chemical recycling, the secondary raw materials of used tires are broken down. This then produces coke for the plastics industry and crude oil for the chemical industry.
Day-to-day business Receiving old tires as an opportunity
The ZARE initiative calls on drivers to find out exactly how the tires are disposed of when they hand in their old tires at a car repair shop, car dealership or other collection point. Consumers should also take responsibility to ensure professional recycling via a certified waste disposal company. The acceptance points receive support from the ZARE initiative, on their website www.zertisierte-alreifenentsorger.de Certified waste disposal companies are listed throughout Germany. Here, companies can also find current information about the various recycling methods and current developments. ZARE would like to sensitize companies whose daily business includes accepting used tires to the issue so that they only pass on worn tires to certified disposal companies. “The companies have it in their hands what happens to the 600.000 tons of old tires generated in Germany every year and whether they are disposed of sensibly and in an environmentally friendly manner,” says Christina Guth.
Put a stop to environmental offenders
It is a nuisance for cities and communities, the consequences of which affect people and the environment: large quantities of old tires are regularly illegally disposed of in nature in Germany. The old tires do not rot and not only create an unsightly appearance in the landscape and forests, but above all they represent enormous environmental pollution. The municipalities are usually left with the costs of disposal, which in the end is at the expense of the taxpayer. The illegal deposits are presumably caused by illegal dealers who, for example, get paid by the collection points for collection and then simply dump the tires in nature instead of making the effort to dispose of them properly. These crimes are punished with high fines, but unfortunately the perpetrators are rarely identified. On the website www.zertisierte-alreifenentsorger.de Illegal dumping is documented by the ZARE initiative. The best way to defend yourself against the brazen actions of environmental offenders is to dispose of old tires professionally, which car repair shops, tire shops, car dealerships and consumers can decide on.
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_locationmap_illegale-reifenentsorgung_2023
Caption 1: The ZARE initiative's "illegal deposits of scrap tyres" map.
Source: ZARE initiative
Image 2: tire stack
Caption 2: Certified disposal companies carefully sort the worn tires and send each tire to the most sustainable recycling path.
Source: KARGRO BV
