South Africa unveils comprehensive waste tyre management plan to address sector challenges

SOUTH AFRICA – Minister Barbara Creecy of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment has introduced the Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan (IWTMP), recently approved by Cabinet, to tackle key challenges within the waste tyre sector.

Among the sector’s primary hurdles are limited local processing capacity, storage depot constraints, and logistical bottlenecks.

The IWTMP serves as a comprehensive framework designed to manage waste tyres efficiently and sustainably within a circular economy model.

It operates as subordinate legislation under the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 2008, mandating compliance from all relevant stakeholders.

Minister Creecy highlights that the plan sets out objectives centered on achieving full waste tyre collection, developing processing capabilities, and establishing robust monitoring systems to measure progress.

Implementation oversight of the IWTMP will be entrusted to the Waste Management Bureau (WMB), tasked with supporting municipal waste management plans and capacity-building initiatives.

Minister Creecy anticipates that the IWTMP will lead to the gradual reduction of new waste tyre stockpiles and the processing of existing historic accumulations.

The government envisions private sector involvement in expanding processing capacities, complemented by supportive government interventions.

To manage logistical aspects and depot operations effectively, the WMB will engage three dedicated regional implementers through contracted service providers.

Minister Creecy emphasizes that the IWTMP presents entrepreneurial prospects for small, medium, and microenterprises, facilitating the growth of micro-collection and micro-depot networks across all provinces.

The minister assures that these enterprises will receive support from the Departments of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE), as well as Small Business Development, to capitalize on opportunities within the waste tyre value chain.

In pursuit of these goals, an existing memorandum of understanding between departments will be expanded to specifically encompass waste tyre initiatives.

Ultimately, the IWTMP aims to achieve comprehensive waste tyre coverage, complete waste diversion, and foster the emergence of new small businesses throughout the waste tyre value chain.

Simultaneously, the Tyre Recycling Industry Association of South Africa (Triasa), established last year, aims to unify various elements of tyre recycling across the country.

Triasa, composed of companies involved in waste tyre processing, advocates for a circular economy and reducing South Africa’s reliance on imported rubber.

Triasa’s founder and CEO, Mehran Zarrebini, emphasizes the importance of Triasa’s role in contributing to the imminent finalization of the Section 29 Integrated Waste Tyre Plan.

Triasa’s objectives include encouraging Green Public Procurement (GPP), promoting Recycled Tyre Material (RTM) usage in various applications, and stimulating the integration of recycled content in new products.

Zarrebini underscores the need for collaboration between industry stakeholders and the government to effectively manage South Africa’s tyre waste, highlighting the international challenge of waste tyre disposal.

He calls for a national audit on waste tyres to establish comprehensive statistics.

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