New Zealand’s first national tyre recycling scheme is now fully operational, with free collections starting today.
Environment Minister, Penny Simmonds said the first priority product stewardship scheme for end-of-life tyres marks a significant step toward addressing a long-standing issue for New Zealand.
“Every year, New Zealand imports around 6.5 million tyres. Of these, only about 40 per cent are recycled, reprocessed or exported,” said Minister Simmonds.
“The remainder often end up in landfills, stockpiles, or are illegally dumped. This not only wastes a valuable resource, but it also places a heavy burden on local communities and councils who are usually left to handle the cleanup. This will change under the new scheme.”
Industry has led the co-design of the scheme, known as ‘Tyrewise’, which will see end-of-life tyres collected, processed and turned into new products.
Starting today, tyre ‘generators’, like tyre shops, can have their end-of-life tyres collected for free. Members of the public can also dispose of up to five worn-out tyres per day, for free, at registered public collection sites around the country.
“With Tyrewise, New Zealanders now have assurance that tyre disposal will be responsibly and sustainably managed wherever you are based,” Ms Simmonds says.
A tyre stewardship fee funds the scheme. The fee is built into the cost of the newly imported tyres that have entered the market from 1 March 2024. It replaces the old system of ad-hoc disposal fees that many tyre retailers used to charge.
“The tyre stewardship fee is similar to the disposal charges that New Zealanders were already paying, but with a crucial difference—part of the revenue will now be invested into local infrastructure and into research for new sustainable uses for end-of-life tyres,” Ms Simmonds says.
“By collaborating with industry, New Zealand’s first priority product stewardship scheme is a significant step toward a waste system that protects the environment.”
Tyres are one of six priority products for which stewardship schemes must be implemented under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008: Priority product stewardship | Ministry for the Environment.
