Tyre recycling plan set to hike truckers’ costs

A national tyre recycling plan is set to increase the costs of truckers even more from February 1 this year. The Department of Environmental Affairs promulgated the Waste Tyre Regulation (WTR) that took effect on June 20 in 2009 and was gazetted by the minister Edna Molewa in November last year. Implemented and managed by the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of SA (Redisa), the WTR will see a levy of R2.30 per kg charged on all new tyres manufactured or imported into South Africa from February 1. The money, says Redisa, will be used to pay for the collection and recycling of waste tyres in an effort to deal with the ever-growing waste tyre situation in the country. According to one truck manufacturer, the cost of the levy will be passed on to the consumer so every time a tyre is now bought the “waste fee’ of R2.30 will be charged per kilogram. “On imported tyres the fee will be charged on the full container as the container is cleared to enter the country. Local manufacturers will have to charge the waste levy on every tyre they invoice,” according to a communiqué received by FTW. “We have not been given the exact weights per tyre by Redisa as yet, but we believe that they are in the process of calculating average weights across the different brands. In a nutshell, you [the client] will have to pay for the disposal of the tyres you use. “We are extremely concerned regarding the costs, as we feel they are excessive. A 12R22,5 will cost approximately R120 a tyre for the waste fee.” The South African Tyre Recycling Programme (SATRP) has raised its concerns over the matter. At stake is control over an industry that has the potential to bring in more than R600 million per annum. Over 200 000 tonnes of tyres become waste tyres in South Africa every year with about 11 million dumped or burnt illegally, according to the department of environmental affairs. This figure, they say, is estimated to increase by about 9.5% annually.