At the 2024 Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) Annual Conference, held at the Woodland Grange Hotel in Leamington Spa on September 24th, former environment secretary George Eustice called on the government to prioritise ending the T8 exemption and other regulatory reforms.
The T8 exemption currently allows for treating small quantities of end-of-life tyres through baling, shredding, peeling, shaving, or granulating.
Eustice, now the director of Penbroath Consultants, emphasised that many environmental challenges can be addressed by allowing natural cycles to complete. He urged the government to shift its perspective on waste, viewing it as a resource with financial value. He argued that a regulatory framework that rewards responsible practices must be implemented to achieve this. He pointed out that the T8 exemption has been widely abused, with operators self-declaring and renewing their exemption every three years with little enforcement. Eustice noted that Defra has long planned to remove the exemption to prevent responsible businesses from being placed at a commercial disadvantage.
He also called for waste and resource policy to become a matter of cross-party consensus, especially as the new government has expressed its commitment to the circular economy. He stressed the importance of the new environment secretary, Steve Reed, pushing forward reforms to the Environmental Protection Regulations to eliminate the T8 exemption, given that the legislative groundwork is already in place.
As the longest-serving Defra minister under the previous government, Eustice also highlighted key concerns facing the industry and the new environment secretary, including whole tyre exports (particularly issues in Britain and India), changes to international waste regulations (especially in the EU and India), and measures to advance the circular economy, such as the T8 exemption and the future use of reclaimed oil.
Peter Taylor OBE, secretary general of the TRA, remarked that this year’s conference had the largest gathering of TRA members to date, reflecting the industry’s need for clarity and leadership. He noted that businesses adhering to best practices face challenges and seek clear direction for the future. Taylor appreciated Eustice’s insights into the complexities of government, having served as a Defra minister for nine years. He emphasised that Britain’s tyre recycling industry has the potential to meet the new government’s circular economy goals but stressed the need for regulatory reforms to drive innovation and incentivise new technologies, which could unlock business and environmental opportunities.
Source: letsrecycle.com
