This will help expedite more waste tyre collections and contribute to effective and responsible recycling practices.

He says one cannot stress enough the importance of recycled waste tyre collection. When it comes to the recycling of tyres, the Waste Tyre Bureau of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, is the custodian of waste tyre collection in South Africa.

Instead of dumping them onto landfills, they are recycled into many interesting, innovative and creative ways but if not managed correctly they can have a dire impact on the environment.

Recycling is obviously key for the environment and for a more sustainable future. The Minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment recently released a Section 29 plan for comment from the industry.

“The plan will help to better manage waste tyres in South Africa, facilitate waste tyre processing capacity and help to reduce the negative environmental impact of waste tyres,” he says.

“The environmental and health consequences of not disposing of tyres correctly is significant, ranging from fire hazards to toxins leaking into our ground soil and water from the non- biodegradable composition of tyres to diseases such as malaria, encephalitis and the Zika virus to name just a few.

“The reality is that despite Government’s best efforts, there are still millions of waste tyres stockpiled and many more lying in back yards and on informal dumping sites. The product will take thousands of years to break down and unfortunately we are already finding unacceptable volumes of plastic in our water that end up in our food system. The consequential cost of this is significant, not to mention the health hazard,” Vishal says.

All responsible and ethical tyre traders need to ensure they are correctly registered and that their waste is being collected by the department.

Consumers can also play their part in ensuring waste tyres are being disposed of responsibly by handing them over to registered tyre dealers. He says if consumers are unsure of the health of their tyre or when to dispose of it, they can call on a registered TEPA tyre business and speak to one of the trained specialists. He says, equally, in the event that one notices illegal stockpiles, these can be reported via the TEPA whistleblower hotline and TEPA will contact the department to deal with the stockpile.

“On the back of a looming environmental disaster, we urge the public not to exacerbate the situation by contributing to the stockpile of unwanted tyres. If you have made the decision to replace your tyres, don’t further compound the problem of waste tyres, rather leave the waste tyres at your TEPA dealer so that they can be disposed of correctly as the law prescribes.”