TIA Backs Market-Based Scrap Tire System

The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has issued a position statement promoting and supporting a competitive, market-based system to manage the flow of scrap tires and scrap tire materials.

The existing free enterprise system of scrap tire management is highly successful with a scrap tire recovery rate approaching 90 percent, the association said.

Recent legislation introduced in a few states would shift the responsibility for managing scrap tires to the manufacturer of the product, TIA said.

Many of these “Extended Producer Responsibility” (EPR) or Product Stewardship bills are drafted in a way that would restrict or interfere with the free flow of scrap tires to selected markets.

Establishing an extended producer responsibility system in the U.S. would: create an additional level of management or oversight; add costs without any significant benefit; remove the retailer from direct negotiations with their suppliers; and replace an efficient well established free market-based system for managing scrap tires with an unproven system.

“TIA supports a competitive free market system that does not interfere with the free flow of scrap tire recyclable materials,” TIA Executive Vice President Roy Littlefield said.

The position statement was developed by the TIA’s Environmental Advisory Council (EAC).

In addition to the position statement, TIA has submitted comments to the Environment Committee in the State of Connecticut regarding S.B. No. 869 which would establish a tire stewardship program in the state. TIA is opposed to the bill. The Committee held public hearings on the bill last month.

© Scrap Tire News, March 2015