Photo: From Tyrewise.co.nz
New Zealand's first national tyre recycling scheme is now fully operational.
Under the scheme, named Tyrewise, tyre shops and other tyre generators 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.
Environment Minister Penny Simmonds said it marked a significant step toward addressing the long-standing problem of tyre dumping.
"Every year, New Zealand imports around 6.5 million tyres. Of these, only about 40 percent are recycled, reprocessed or exported," she said.
"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."
Simmonds said that would change under the new scheme.
The scheme was funded by a tyre stewardship fee which was built into the cost of newly imported tyres from 1 March 2024.
It replaced the old system of ad-hoc disposal fees that many tyre retailers used to charge, Simmonds said.
"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."
The scheme, co-designed with the industry, was a significant step toward a waste system that protected the environment, Simmonds said.
