Bonn, September 12.09.2023, XNUMX Disposing of old tires at a tire dealer or in a car repair shop is a safe thing - right? The increasing number of reports about illegal waste tire disposal at home and abroad prove that it is not that easy. Illegal deposits in nature are regularly documented by ZARE (certified waste tire disposal company). That’s why consumers are asked to take a closer look.
When it comes to disposing of their old tires, most drivers don't worry. Not out of thoughtlessness, but because they believe that tire dealers, vehicle repair shops or car dealerships take care of the correct disposal of old tires after their vehicle has been fitted with new tires. Old tires are also put into the supposedly right hands at the recycling center or at private waste disposal companies. But what actually happens to the waste disposal companies with the worn tires?
Certified disposal means climate protection
Almost 600.000 tons of old tires are produced every year in Germany alone. Not all of them are disposed of properly and therefore sustainably. The old tires could be kept in the sustainable recycling cycle within Germany, as stipulated by the German circular economy law, instead of burning them unregulated abroad and polluting the environment with enormous CO2 emissions. This is where certified waste tire disposal companies come into play. The companies have the necessary know-how to properly sort old tires and put them to the most sustainable use. Ideally, this is retreading, which turns used tires into a high-quality and attractively priced product. Exporting used tires as well as material and thermal recycling are also possible solutions that are provided by specialist companies in Germany. During material recycling, the tires are broken down into their components, shredded into rubber granules or rubber powder and thus provide the basis for new products such as floor coverings, road asphalt or sealing materials.
Taking responsibility together
To ensure that the tires reach the professional disposal company, drivers must inform themselves carefully when handing in their old tires and hold the collection point responsible. Only if car repair shops, for example, pass on the collected old tires to a certified disposal company can their professional recycling be guaranteed. ZARE's appeal is not only aimed at consumers, but also at the responsibility of vehicle repair shops, car dealerships and other contact points. The companies should only pass on the old tires to certified disposal companies. “In the end, the drivers are a decisive lever - through critical questioning, they can make a significant contribution to ensuring that the 600.000 tons of used tires in Germany every year are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner,” says Christina Guth.
No chance for environmental offenders
In addition to the unregulated incineration abroad, large quantities of old tires are unfortunately often illegally dumped in nature in Germany. Cities and communities have to deal with the consequences: old tires do not rot and therefore remain an unsightly image for years and harm nature. The municipality must take responsibility for removing the tires, which ultimately comes at the expense of the taxpayer. Illegal dealers are usually suspected to be behind the illegal deposits, who, for example, have car repair shops pay for them to be picked up and then get rid of the tires in a seemingly easy way. This is a criminal offense that is punished with high fines. The ZARE initiative documents cases of illegal dumping on the site www.zertisierte-alreifenentsorger.de. To protect yourself against such environmental offenders, the best measure is the professional disposal of used tires, which consumers, tire dealers, vehicle repair shops and car dealerships 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
Download
Press release as Word document
Image 1: zare_locationmap_illegale-reifenentsorgung_2023
Caption 1: The ZARE initiative's "illegal deposits of scrap tyres" map.
Source: ZARE initiative
Image 2: short_tire container
Caption 2: Old tires belong in the right hands: The certified waste disposal companies dispose of and recycle the old tires professionally.
Source: KURZ Karkassenhandel GmbH
