TRACS asks consumers to deal only with reputable tyre suppliers

TRACS (Tyre Recovery Activity Compliance Scheme) Ireland’s largest tyre compliance scheme, is asking vehicle owners to deal only with reputable tyre suppliers who will ensure that their used tyres are being properly recovered once they become waste.

55,000 tonnes of tyre waste is estimated to be generated in Ireland each year.  In 2012, approximately 3 million tyres, mostly car tyres, were imported into Ireland for supply, of which TRACS accounted for 75 per cent. Furthermore, TRACS also accounted for 9 in every 10 waste tyres collected and treated either in this Ireland or abroad.

TRACS is a voluntary Irish tyre industry initiative to monitor all tyres on the Irish market and is approved by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. The TRACS database system traces tyres from when they are imported to when they are sold, right though to when they are discarded, reused or processed for recovery.  Anyone who is involved in tyre retail, wholesale, importation or recycling in Ireland has to be registered by law with a compliance scheme such as TRACS.

Members only give waste tyres to approved collectors and recognise that that they still have a responsibility for their management, even after it is removed by the waste collector. This is great news for the ultimate goal of properly managing tyre waste in Ireland.

People can identify compliant tyre suppliers by looking for a ‘TRACS’ or ‘TRACS Compliant’ logo which should be visible at their place of business.

According to Fiacra Quinn, Director of TRACS, “We are encouraging the public to only deal with registered suppliers and waste collectors.” Any authorised collector should be able to produce proof of proper waste management such as a ‘Recovery Certificate’ when asked. This document ensures that tyre waste is being appropriately handled.  We would encourage the public to actively ensure that their tyre suppliers are managing tyre waste properly and are registered with a compliance scheme such as TRACS.”

A full list of importers, manufacturers, retailers and waste collectors who have registered with TRACS is available on the TRACS website. www.tracs.ie