Protocol could see used tyres put to better use

Used tyres could be more easily reprocessed into flooring, road surfacing and aggregates following the launch of a Quality Protocol for the production and use of tyre-derived materials.

The initiative, launched by WRAP and the Environment Agency, should see fully recovered rubber designated as a product rather than waste, making it cheaper and easier to reprocess.

Martin Brocklehurst, head of external waste programmes at the Environment Agency, said: "Placed end to end, the annual tyre waste of England and Wales would stretch from London to Cardiff more than 100 times. With so many cars, vans and trucks discarding tyres, we have potential to access more than 40,000t of recycled rubber."

He added that a Quality Protocol could save the time and cost associated with meeting waste regulations by clearly defining the standards required for the use of tyre-derived material.