WASTE CRIME – WASTE RISKS

Tires
The global trade in used tires is quite extensive. Part of the
flow is legal trade, and part of it is illegal. The IMPEL research
uncovered 25 illegal shipments of tires from European ports
in 2012-2013.
The UK has done some research on what happens to used tires
and found that, in 2010, the main end uses for waste tires in
the UK were: recycling (32 per cent); energy recovery (20 per
cent); landfill engineering (16 per cent); re-treading (12 per
cent); and other uses, such as silage clamps and dock fenders
(20 per cent). Excluded from these end uses are exports and
tires handled illegally, estimated at around 10 per cent of all
used/waste tires. These tires are discarded through illegal
baling, unregistered storage and abandonment, in illegal landfills,
burning, and illegal export of used tires unfit for use in the
UK (Environment Agency UK 2012). The tires end up in developing
countries where there is a demand for cheap secondhand
tires for use on vehicles. Such tires are often worn out and
not in line with safety regulations in developed countries, and
they quickly become useless and are dumped as waste. Moreover,
driving with worn-out tires can be dangerous in traffic.
The market for second-hand tires results from the need to
remove tires from tire retailers or end-of-life vehicle (ELV)
dismantlers. A range of upstream operations are involved,
including collection, sorting, and reprocessing. A study
conducted by the Environment Agency suggested that, while
tire crime can appear anywhere along the activity chain, it
often begins with illegal collection (2012). Incentives include
convenience, opportunism, market dynamics/demand, and
low risks, but primarily financial gain. These motives are
confirmed by wider EU-level intelligence (e.g., from Europol),
which indicates that key factors are a perceived low level of
risk, the simplicity with which profits can be made, lack of
traceability of the tires themselves, and lack of visibility of
enforcers (Environment Agency UK 2012). The EA study also
noted that where limited treatment options are available and
collection costs are higher, there is a greater risk of illegal
collections taking place, as they offer businesses an opportunity
to cut costs. Most importantly, illegal tire collections
undermine legitimate operations by forcing them to reduce
their prices in order to remain competitive Baird et al. 2012.
New guidelines on used and retreaded tire
trade in Brazil
Brazil banned the import of all used and retreaded tires in
2000. With this restriction in place, Brazil´s tire ban became
a regional trade issue as it was against the Common Market
of the Southern Cone (Mercosur) law that regulated the
regional market in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela
and Uruguay. It has sparked a wide discussion among the
neighbouring countries, and Brazil was accused of violating
the regional trade agreement. However, Brazil argued that
its measures were justified for environmental reasons,
such as abandoned tires ending up in landfills and illegal
dumps, causing threats to human health by increasing the
risk of the spread of tropical diseases. In 2004, the ban was
still valid, but a new federal measure 21 provided one broad
exemption that allowed Mercosur countries to trade in
used and retreaded tires among themselves (ICTSD 2010).
The ban was now specifically restricted to trade with the
European Union (The Star 20017), triggering a new wave
of criticism from the World Trade Organization and the EU.
Environmental and public health arguments were used
as the main defence of Brazil´s measures. It has led to
a discussion with the Basel Convention Secretariat. As
a result Brazil and the Basel Secretariat are working on
guidelines for the environmentally sound management of
used tires, which will help tropical countries in particular
in regulating the used tire trade.
21. Ministério Do Desenvolvimento, Indústria e Comércio Exterior,
Secretaria de Comércio Exterior (2014). Portaria SECEX 14/2004.
Available from: http://www.mdic.gov.br/arquivo/legislacao/portarias/
secex/2004/prtsecex14_2004.pdf
breeding. It is believed that the spread of Aedes albopictus,
a mosquito native to subtropical climates but now found in
many countries, is due to the global trade of tires.
As is the case with other waste streams, the cost associated
with proper treatment of used tires is high enough to stimulate
the evolution of a black market. The cost of disposing
of a car tire in the UK is in the region of USD 2 per tire. The
Environment Agency has advised that tire fitters should stay
clear of contractors offering a lower price for discarding tires
as it is likely suspicious (BBC 2011). There are risks connected
to tires ending up in landfills as well, since they can feed fires
that are difficult to control. In tropical countries, the dumping
of tires in landfills can lead to the spread of mosquito-borne
diseases since water-filled tires are perfect for mosquito
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