The Environment Agency’s 2026 plan puts waste tyre exports under far tighter scrutiny, especially shipments to India. Exporters must now prove overseas facilities meet UK-equivalent standards, with Annex VII paperwork closely checked. ATFs should tighten due diligence on tyre collectors, documentation and end destinations, as this model will extend to other ELV “green list” wastes.
The Environment Agency (EA) has set out how it is tightening control of waste tyre exports from England, and what comes next. Its January 2026 implementation plan shows that waste pneumatic tyres are now firmly in the crosshairs, with enhanced checks already in place and wider reforms to “green list” waste on the way.
For UK ATFs and tyre recyclers, this isn’t just about exporters. It points to a future where end-of-life tyres and other ELV-derived wastes face much tougher scrutiny from the yard gate right through to overseas recovery.
Regulatory backdrop: pyrolysis concerns in India
The plan follows a review of how waste tyres are regulated, prompted by concerns that UK exports were being diverted away from legitimate recycling into illegal pyrolysis operations in India. India banned waste tyre imports for pyrolysis in July 2022, but evidence suggested UK material was still ending up in non-compliant plants.
The review concluded that the EA needed stronger measures to ensure waste tyres are managed in an “environmentally sound” way throughout shipment and recovery, not just at the point they leave the dock. Four priority actions were identified: enhanced verification checks, better staff training on UK Waste Shipment Regulations, stronger partnership working, and improved “horizon scanning” for emerging risks.
What’s changing now: enhanced verification and Annex VII scrutiny
The most immediate change is the enhanced verification process for waste tyre exports, in place since 1 October 2025. Any exporter shipping waste tyres from England must now provide detailed information on their shipments and demonstrate that the receiving facility meets agreed “environmentally sound management” (ESM) standards.
For exports to India, the bar is higher still. Exporters must prove that the receiving facility operates to standards broadly equivalent to the UK, backed up by documentary evidence requested under formal information notices. Between October and mid-December 2025, the EA:
- served 42 exporters with information notices
- approved 41 Indian facilities as meeting ESM standards
- rejected 13 facilities that failed those standards, with movements to those sites now prohibited
At the same time, the EA received 1,093 Annex VII forms, covering waste tyre exports to all destinations. This gives regulators a much clearer picture of where UK tyres are going and how often. Where Annex VII forms are not supplied, the EA is prepared to consider banning further shipments to those destinations.
Operational impact: what ATFs should be watching
Most authorised treatment facilities don’t export tyres directly. Instead, they contract collectors, processors or brokers. But the EA’s message is clear: the whole export chain is under much closer scrutiny.
In practical terms, ATFs should expect:
- More questions about downstream routes – collectors and exporters may ask for clearer records of tyre arisings, storage and segregation to support Annex VII declarations and ESM evidence.
- Greater emphasis on due diligence – if your tyres are ultimately exported, the EA will want confidence that everyone in the chain understands and meets their obligations. Weak links, especially on documentation, will be less tolerated.
- Potential market shifts – rejected overseas facilities and tighter checks may change where tyres can legally go, potentially affecting prices and availability of outlets for baled ELV tyres.
Against the broader backdrop of calls from the Tyre Recovery Association and others for a “shred-only” export regime and tighter control of T8-exempt sites, the EA’s plan underlines a direction of travel towards more controlled, traceable routes for ELV tyres.
Training, partnerships and horizon scanning
Internally, the EA is refreshing all mandatory training for its international waste shipment staff, including a new module focused on ESM, with the package due to be completed by April 2026. Bite-sized interactive sessions are being rolled out across wider teams to improve understanding of the legislation and the specifics of tyre regulation.
Externally, the agency is working closely with Defra, other government departments, devolved UK regulators, Indian authorities and international bodies such as the Basel Convention working groups. This reflects the reality that waste tyre crime is increasingly global, and that enforcement depends on cooperation at both ends of the shipment.
The EA’s National Environmental Crime Unit has flagged tyres as a priority waste stream and is bolstering “horizon scanning” by commissioning a literature review on waste tyre treatment and risks and improving internal intelligence-sharing systems. Initial findings are expected in spring 2026.
Beyond tyres: a template for green list waste reform
Perhaps the most significant part of the plan for the wider ELV sector is the EA’s intention to apply the tyre model to other Article 18 “green list” wastes. The agency is developing a new system for regulating these movements ahead of Digital Waste
Tracking, including more compliance officers, better data and new digital tools to target high-risk shipments. A charging scheme for green list waste movements is being prepared, with consultation promised in early 2026 and implementation later in the year if adopted.
For ATFs, this points to a future in which all ELV-derived green list wastes, not just tyres, face similar levels of scrutiny regarding destination, treatment standards, and documentation.
What ATFs should do now?
In the short term, ATFs should:
- Review who collects and handles their waste tyres and how those routes are documented.
- Check that contracts, duty of care paperwork, and record-keeping would stand up if the EA traced a shipment back from an overseas facility.
- Keep an eye on early 2026 consultations around green list charging and Digital Waste Tracking, as these will shape future costs and data requirements.
The tyre implementation plan is a clear statement of intent: exports that rely on weak paperwork, unknown destinations or questionable treatment are on borrowed time. For compliant operators, that should ultimately mean a fairer market. But it will demand sharper admin and stronger oversight of where ELV tyres and other wastes really end up.
Source www.gov.uk/government
Further Reading on ATF Professional
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TRA renews call for ban on whole end-of-life tyre exports
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UK is exporting 1,000 tonnes of used tyres a day, TRA tells DEFRA Secretary
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EA launches comprehensive review following BBC expose of illegal ELTs export to India
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UK tyre bodies unite to call for DEFRA action – end T-8 exemption and whole tyre exports
