The BBC investigation has uncovered alarming details about the illegal export and processing of waste tyres from the UK to India. While UK businesses charge a recycling fee to drivers, the investigation reveals that much of the waste is sold on the black market in India, where it ends up in makeshift pyrolysis plants, some of which are illegal.
In India, these tyres are subjected to extreme conditions in small, unregulated furnaces that extract materials like carbon black, steel, and oil through a process called pyrolysis, which takes place at temperatures of around 500°C. The process is highly dangerous and produces toxic fumes, including hazardous chemicals, which pose significant health risks to workers and nearby residents. Villagers living near these plants have reported persistent health issues such as respiratory problems and eye irritation. In one instance, an explosion in a plant that was processing European tyres killed four people, highlighting the extreme dangers posed by these unregulated facilities.
While the UK government claims to regulate the export of tyres, the investigation shows that many tyres are sent to India under the guise of being recycled at legitimate facilities. In reality, they often end up in these unsafe, makeshift plants. The waste tyre industry in the UK is aware of this situation, with many businesses opting for the more profitable, but illegal, route of exporting tyres to unregulated plants, where the legal recycling process is bypassed in favor of hazardous pyrolysis. The BBC’s investigation reveals that the UK is one of the worst offenders in exporting waste tyres for such illegal practices.
Despite the government’s regulations and the threat of fines and imprisonment, it is clear that enforcement is insufficient, allowing these dangerous practices to continue. The environmental and public health consequences of this illegal trade are significant, and the situation raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of current oversight and enforcement measures.