A pile of old tyres

Understanding the vehicle tyre market in Scotland

09 Feb 21

Zero Waste Scotland commissioned Eunomia Research and Consulting to assess the current state of the Scottish vehicle tyre market and consider policy mechanisms which could be used to create a circular economy for tyres in Scotland. 

The first report, Vehicle Tyres: Market Overview, provides information on the Scottish market for vehicle tyres throughout their life cycle, presenting an appraisal of the Scottish market including the number and type of tyres placed on the Scottish market; waste arisings, disposal and treatment routes; and end markets.

The report found that just over 4 million tyres (new, retreaded and part-worn) were placed on the Scottish market in 2018, with a total volume of ~54,300 tonnes of waste tyres arising in 2018. Of these tyres, 48% are co-incinerated in cement kilns, with only 36% being recycled, recovered or sent for re-treading. 

Based on the findings above, the second report, Vehicle Tyres: Policy Options for a Circular Economy, explores policy measures which could increase the circular economy potential of vehicle tyres across the waste hierarchy. The consultant discusses the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches and the need for a cohesive, complementary approach to ensure the best environmental outcomes are achieved. The data presented and discussed in the report were correct at the time of report completion. 

These reports are part of evidence-building for specific material and product types, available for us in future policy development and industry engagement.

Acknowledgements

The project was delivered by Jamie Fry, Elaine Dale and Emily Rae at Zero Waste Scotland and Radha Daniel, Chris Sherrington and James McMahon at Eunomia, who were commissioned for this work.

More information

If you would like more information on this area of work please contact Jamie Fry, Policy Analyst at jamie.fry@zerowastescotland.org.uk.