Microsoft Word - Market Failure EoL Tyres Final Report 08_09

FINAL REPORT

Market Failure in End-of-life Tyre

Disposal

Prepared for

Department of the Environment and Heritage

GPO Box 787

Canberra ACT 2601

8 September 2006

43177414

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Project Manager:

Einion Thomas

Principal,

Solid Waste & Resource Recovery

Practice Leader

Project Director:

Dr Geraldine Gentle

Director, Economic and Policy

URS Australia Pty Ltd

Level 3, 116 Miller Street

North Sydney, NSW 2060 Australia

Tel: 61 2 8925 5500

Fax: 61 2 8925 5555

Date:

Reference:

Status:

8 September 2006

43177414

Final Report

Contents

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Executive Summary-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ES-1

Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-1

1.1 Context of this Study 1-1

1.2 Requirements of this Study 1-1

1.3 Structure of the Report 1-2

2 Market Failure---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-1

2.1 What is ‘Market Failure’? 2-1

3 Market Arrangements for End-of-life Tyres ------------------------------------------------------ 3-4

3.1 Overview of End-of-life Tyre Markets and Disposal Arrangements 3-4

3.2 Tyre Removal 3-4

3.3 Tyre Collection and Transport 3-5

3.4 Tyre Disposal and Stockpiles 3-6

3.4.1 Illegal Disposal and Stockpiling 3-8

3.5 Tyre Transformation 3-8

4 Market Failure in End-of-life Tyre Markets ------------------------------------------------------- 4-1

4.1 Externalities 4-1

4.1.1 Disposal Externalities 4-1

4.1.2 Fire Risk 4-4

4.2 Public and Collective Goods 4-5

4.3 Information 4-8

4.4 Monopoly, Competition and Market Structure 4-10

4.5 Quantifying Market Failure in End-of-life Tyre Markets 4-11

5 Tyre Supply Chains and Market Failure----------------------------------------------------------- 5-1

5.1 Overview of the Tyre Supply Chains 5-1

5.1.1 Current Tyres in Use 5-1

5.1.2 New Tyres Entering the Australian Market 5-2

5.1.3 The Three Specific Supply Chains 5-5

5.2 Disposal Arrangements of Tyres from Vehicle Dealers 5-7

5.3 Market Failures as Applied to the Tyre Supply Chains 5-9

6 References -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6-1

7 Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7-1

Contents

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Appendices

Appendix A: Terms of Reference for this Study

Appendix B: Legislation that Impacts the End-of-Life Tyre Industry

Appendix C: Classifications for Tyre Derived Products

Appendix D: Vehicle Manufactures & Dealers Consultation

Tables

Table 3-1: Approximate Disposal Fees..................................................................................................... 3-6

Table 3-2: Current Disposal of End-of-life Tyres (‘000s)......................................................................... 3-7

Table 3-3: Current Disposal of End-of-life Tyres (‘000s EPUs)............................................................... 3-7

Table 3-4: Current and Potential Size of Tyre Derived End Use Markets................................................ 3-9

Table 4-1: Market Failures...................................................................................................................... 4-12

Table 5-1: Current Tyre in Use (000s)...................................................................................................... 5-2

Table 5-2: Total Tyres Entering the Market (Loose and OEM) (000s)..................................................... 5-2

Table 5-3: Domestic Loose Tyres Excluding Domestic OEM (000s)....................................................... 5-3

Table 5-4: Loose Tyre Imports (000s)....................................................................................................... 5-4

Table 5-5: New Vehicle Sales & Corresponding Tyres (000s)................................................................. 5-4

Table 5-6: Locally Made & Imported New Vehicle Sales & Corresponding Tyres (000s)...................... 5-5

Table 5-7: Differences between Volumes of New and EoL Tyres (EPUs)............................................... 5-5

Table 5-8: Tyre Supply Chains (000s) ...................................................................................................... 5-6

Table 5-9: Passenger Tyres as Percentage of all New Tyres for the Three Supply Chains .................... 5-10

Table 5-10: New Vehicle OEM Tyres –Share of all Disposed Tyres (000s).......................................... 5-11

Figures

Figure 3-1: Tyre Collection, Transport and End use/Disposal Flow Chart............................................... 3-5

Figure 5-1: Tyre Supply Chains................................................................................................................ 5-7

Figure 5-2: Tyre Collection, Transport and End use/Disposal Flow Chart for Tyre Supply

Chains......................................................................................................................... 5-8

Figure 5-3: Passenger Tyres as Percentage of all New Tyres for the Three Supply Chains................... 5-10

Acronyms and Definitions

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Acronyms

ABS Australian Bureau of Statistics

ATIG Australian Tyre Importers Group

ATMA Australian Tyre Manufacturers Association

COAG Council of Australian Governments

DEH Department of the Environment and Heritage

EoL End-of-life

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

EPU Equivalent Passenger Unit

IWRP Industry Waste Reduction Plan

JWGT Joint Working Group on Tyres

OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer

OTR Off The Road

PRO Producer Responsibility Organisation

R&D Research and Development

RIS Regulatory Impact Statement

TC Transformation Category

TDF Tyre Derived Fuel

TDP Tyre Derived Product

URS URS Australia Pty Ltd

Acronyms and Definitions

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Definitions relating to the End-of-Life Tyre Market

AFR Means alternative fuels and raw materials that can be used as a source of fuel in

energy generation (waste products such as end-of-life tyres, demolition timbers, waste

oil, carbon anode dust, aluminium spent cell liners, solvent based fuels can be used as

AFR in cement kilns) (Geocycle – Environmental Solutions for Industry 2001, p.3).

Buffings Rubber removed from tyre cases (both from the tread only and tread and tyre

shoulder) to prepare them for retreading or during finishing of the tyres after the

retreads are applied (Atech Group 2001, Pt.1, p.65).

Casing A whole tyre.

Collector Any person who collectors and transports used, rejected or unwanted motor vehicle

tyres in any part of Australia (NSW EPA 1998, p.4). A collector or transporter

engages in the activity of collection and/or transportation.

Dealer A person or company that sells tyres to consumers for use on motor vehicles.

Disposal The permanent disposal of end-of-life tyres. Disposal options for end-of-life tyres

include a sanitary landfill (that receives other solid waste) and a tyre monofil (MWH

New Zealand Ltd 2004, p.19).

End use market Refers to the end markets that use Tyre Derived Products as inputs; the market that

end market producers operate in (See ‘End market producer’).

End market

producer

Means a producer of products that use Tyre Derived Products as inputs; essentially

the demanders and users of Tyre Derived Products, e.g. flooring specialists, road

surfacing companies, and retaining wall producers.

End-of-life Tyre A used tyre that cannot or is not reused for its originally intended purpose and is not

retreaded. Such tyres may have a further use as a raw material for other processes or

be destined for final disposal. [Note: End-of-life tyres are called “scrap tires” in the

United States.] (MWH New Zealand Ltd 2004, p.4).

EPU An equivalent passenger unit, the weight of tyre equal to an average passenger tyre,

9.5kg (NSW EPA 1998, p.4).

Motor vehicle Means any motor car, motor carriage, motor cycle or other vehicle propelled upon

any public street wholly or partly by any volatile spirit, steam, gas, oil, or electricity,

or by any means other than human or animal power, and includes a trailer, but does

not mean or include any vehicle used on a railway or tram way (other than a light rail

vehicle).] [Note: This includes any sedan, utility van, panel van, van, truck,

articulated vehicle, trailer, caravan, bus, agricultural vehicle, agricultural trailer or

mining vehicle and includes such vehicles when not used on public streets.] (NSW

EPA 1998, p.4).

Acronyms and Definitions

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Processor Any person who is not a retreader or a recycler, who processes used, rejected or

unwanted tyres. [Note: This includes any person who shreds, cuts or de-walls tyres

for disposal.] (NSW EPA 1998, p.4).

Producer Refers to the originators of new tyres, essentially the manufacturers and importers of

new tyres (loose and fitted tyres) that begin the flow of tyres into a market.

Product

stewardship

“Product Stewardship is an approach that recognises that manufacturers, importers,

governments and consumers have a shared responsibility for the environmental

impacts of a product throughout its full life cycle” (EPHC 2004a, p.2).

Recycler See ‘Transformer’.

Retreader Any person who processes used, rejected or unwanted tyres for sale as a motor

vehicle tyre (NSW EPA 1998, p.4).

Shredding Shredding of tyres involves cutting and tearing the end-of-life tyre mechanically with

shredders using a series of various sized rotating knives (Monitor Tire Disposal

Transformation 2005, p.1).

Transformer Any person who processes used, rejected or unwanted tyres into a saleable product

that is not a motor vehicle tyre (NSW EPA 1998, p.4).

Transporter See ‘Collector’.

TDP Refers to the point at which tyre waste becomes a ‘product’. Means a saleable product

manufactured directly from used, rejected or unwanted tyres that is used as a raw

material for another manufacturing process. According to the Tyres Roundtable, an

end-of-life tyre must undergo “substantial transformation” before it is classified a

tyre-derived products. [Note: This refers to whole tyres, cut tyres, chip, granulate,

buffing, crumb, steel and textile that are used for energy recovery (See ‘TDF’),

material recovery and civil engineering end use markets.] (refer to Appendix C for

these TC categories).

Tyre category Means the six common categories of tyres including Off The Road (OTR) tyres, truck

and bus tyres, light and medium commercial tyres, specialty tyres, passenger tyres

and motor cycle tyres.

Tyre landfill A sanitary landfill, or portion of a landfill, that receives only end-of-life tyres. The

landfill has an appropriate liner, cover, leachate collection system and monitoring

system (MWH New Zealand Ltd 2004, p.19).

Acronyms and Definitions

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Used tyre A used, rejected or unwanted motor vehicle tyre, that can be reused for its originally

intended purpose, retreaded, transformed, recycled, or that may be destined for final

disposal. [Note: Used tyres are divided into two sub-categories depending on their

appropriateness for reuse or recycling: (1) Waste tyres or (2) end-of-life tyres] (MWH

New Zealand Ltd 2004, p.4).

Used tyre

operator

Means any person, who buys, sells, exchanges, stores, transports, imports, exports,

reuses, retreads, recycles, processes, bales, consigns for transport, accepts, disposes of

to landfill, or otherwise disposes of used, rejected or unwanted tyres (NSW EPA

1998, p.4).

Used tyre

transaction

Means the buying, selling, exchanging, storing, transporting, importing, exporting,

reusing, retreading, recycling, processing, baling, consigning for transport, accepting,

disposing of to landfill, or otherwise disposing of used, rejected or unwanted motor

vehicle tyres in Australia (NSW EPA 1998, p.4).

Executive Summary

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Market Failures

Market failures are characteristics of goods and markets that can lead to economically inefficient

allocation of resources, compared with the theoretical ideal. Dealing with market failure is an important

rationale for government intervention and regulation.

The main sources of market failure are:

• External costs and benefits;

• Public and collective goods;

• Information failures; and

• Monopoly and restricted competition.

The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and extent of market failures relating to the

management of end-of-use tyres in Australia.

Key Findings

1. The precise nature of any tyre industry wide market failure.

Market Failure Applicable to

End-of-Life

Tyres

Extent/Quantification

External costs

• Environmental

Yes Marginal

• Health

Yes Marginal

• Fire risk

Yes Significant but tighter regulation has

reduced in recent years in urban

areas

• Illegal disposal

Yes > $35 to $70 million over 10 years

Public and collective goods Yes

Information failures Yes

Up to $280 million over 10 years

Monopoly and restricted competition No Not Applicable

TOTAL > $315 to $350 million over 10

years

Executive Summary

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2. The precise nature of any supply chain specific market failures associated with the three major supply

chains.

The three supply chains for the entry of new tyres into the Australian market are (1) original

equipment tyres, (on domestically produced and imported vehicles) (2) domestically manufactured

tyres and (3) imported loose tyres (section 5.1).

Market failures identified in Finding 1 are identical across tyre supply chains but can differ among

categories of tyre (section 5.3). The external costs of illegal disposal are greater for smaller tyres

such as passenger car tyres, than for large tyres such as heavy truck tyres. Estimates suggest only

1 percent of truck tyres are illegally dumped or stockpiled, whereas rates for passenger tyres are

highest with 16 percent illegally dumped followed closely by light truck tyres at 12 percent. Passenger

tyres are shown to contribute 67 percent of the total number of EPUs illegally dumped even though

they account for 49 percent of total tyres entering the market (excluding OTR tyres). Therefore, as a

proportion of passenger tyres to total tyres within each of the three supply chains, passenger tyres

contribute the most to external costs of illegal disposal (sections 4.1.1 and 5.3).

3. The extent to which:

– any market failure applies to a particular tyres supplier;

– there is any variation of any market failure between suppliers;

– any market failures vary between the management of tyres produced for original equipment

manufacturers, such as vehicles (whether imported or domestically manufactured) and tyres

provided for after market use.

The major sources of market failure stem from illegal disposal and storage, lack of public and

collective goods relating to end-of-life tyres and poor information. Most of these are not specific to

particular tyre suppliers or supply chains (sections 4 and 5).

The supply of information to consumers about disposal practices and options is inconsistent and

haphazard across Australia. Many suppliers do not provide information sufficient for them to make

informed choices about disposal practices (section 4.3). This is a symptom of the information market

failure and should not be considered a supplier specific issue.

Location of tyre suppliers may influence illegal dumping. Illegal dumping and storage may be

relatively more prevalent as a proportion of tyre turnover in more remote areas as a result of high

transport costs and lack of treatment facilities, coupled with state-wide regulation of legal disposal.

However, it also occurs in major cities where the bulk of used tyres are located. While there may be

business drivers for individual businesses to engage in illegal dumping and storage, these are not

specific to particular types of tyre supplier.

As vehicle dealers tend to use specialist tyre suppliers and fitters, there is no significant difference

between the management of tyres produced for original equipment manufacturers (whether imported

or domestically manufactured) and tyres provided for after market use.

4. Assess all stages and aspects of the life cycle of the suppliers’ tyres, including volumes and current

treatment of the tyres at end-of-life by suppliers of tyres:

Executive Summary

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– volume of tyres (on a percentage basis) supplied to the market by each of the three supply

chains, and to the extent possible, the volume of tyres (on a percentage basis) presenting in the

waste stream from each of the three supply chains;

Supply Chain 1: 5,357,000 tyres (7,431,000 EPUs); Supply Chain 2: 4,110,000 tyres (5,720,000

EPUs); Supply Chain 3: 11,102,000 tyres (22,434,000 EPUs).

The volume of tyres presenting into the waste stream for each of the three supply chain is generally

equal in proportion to those entering the market. Changes in the national vehicle fleet drive the

proportion of tyre categories entering the waste stream (section 5).

– The current treatment of the tyres at end-of-life by suppliers of tyres.

Current treatment for all end-of-life tyres is estimated as: Legal Landfill 64%; Illegal Dumping 14%;

Tyre-Derived Products 23%.

5. The volume of tyres (on a percentage basis) supplied to the market by each of the three supply

chains, and to the extent possible, the volume of tyres (on a percentage basis) presenting in the waste

stream from each of the three supply chains.

The volume of tyres supplied to the market by each of the supply chains is summarised in Table 5.8.

There is no way of distinguishing used tyres originating from the three supply chains once they enter

the waste stream – only categories of tyre (e.g. passenger) can be differentiated.

6. The current treatment of the tyres at End-of-life by suppliers of tyres.

Current end of life tyres treatment is as follows: Legal Landfill 64%; Illegal Dumping 14%; Tyre-

Derived Products 23%. There is no way of distinguishing used tyres originating from individual

suppliers of new tyres– only categories of tyre (e.g. passenger) can be differentiated.

7. The impact on return/disposal practices of End-of-life tyres by the extent to which they are covered

under any warranty, particularly new vehicle warranty.

Few if any new vehicle warranties cover tyres unless they are defective. Replacement of original tyres

at the end of their lives is usually undertaken by specialist tyre suppliers with arrangements with

service departments of car dealers, although some dealers do it themselves.

New tyres are covered by limited warrantees. Tyre manufacturers/distributors have arrangements for

recovery of some defective tyres under tyre warranties, for their own quality control purposes. The

rest are disposed of with other end-of-life tyres by the tyre dealers.

8. The impact on return/disposal practices of any preferred service provider contracts, particularly

between vehicle manufacturers and tyre retailers.

Executive Summary

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Many operators of heavy earth-moving/mining equipment and heavy trucks have service contracts

with specialist tyre firms. In this part of the used tyre market, refurbishment and retreading is

common, so that this may be reflected in contract arrangements. Such arrangements may also apply

to service departments of manufacturers and dealers in such equipment. However, for passenger and

light truck tyres, service provider contracts do not generally specify return/disposal practices

(Appendix D).

9. The impact on return/disposal practices of any contractual arrangements, particularly between

vehicle manufacturers and tyre recyclers or between tyre retailers and tyre recyclers, or between

vehicle manufacturers, tyre retailers and tyre recyclers.

This study could not find any evidence of direct contractual arrangements between vehicle

manufacturers and tyre recyclers. Vehicle manufacturers would have arrangements to deal with tyre

manufacturers/importers to manage defective tyres supplied as original equipment, as they would for

any other component suppliers. Some service departments of vehicle dealers have arrangements

with tyre suppliers (in the form of tyre retails) to deal with end-of-life tyres.

Tyre retailers’ disposal practices are not aligned with any downstream end uses except in the case of

truck/bus tyre retreading where this occurs. This study is not aware of any tyre retailers' disposal

practices being influenced by the needs of reprocessors for particular types or qualities of tyres

(sections 3, 4.3, 4.4).

10. The location of end-of-life tyres by supplier, including whether they are recycled, disposed of to

landfill, are exported or illegally dumped.

Information is not available to determine the location of end-of-life tyres by individual supplier, for

commercial confidentiality reasons. Data on exports of used tyres by port of export are available from

the Australian Bureau of Statistics. No information is available on illegal dumping by individual

suppliers unless they have been prosecuted.

SECTION 1

Introduction

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1 Introductio n

1.1 Context of this Study

The tyre industry and the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEH),

on behalf of the EPHC, have been negotiating the development of national product stewardship

arrangements for end-of-life tyres. The negotiations have focused on the establishment of a Tyres Product

Stewardship Agreement, under which a national industry-run tyres product stewardship scheme will

operate. The scheme would be supported by government regulation to ensure that participants in the

voluntary scheme are not competitively disadvantaged in the market place. The regulations would ensure

that any tyre industry companies that are not participants in the voluntary scheme would have to achieve

equivalent outcomes to those included in the agreement. The new regulations would be established as

sector specific Schedules under a proposed new National Environmental Protection (Product

Stewardship) Measure.

Two economic modelling studies were conducted to facilitate negotiations, and the development of the

proposed arrangements to date. These studies have identified the consequences of the market failure

aspects of end-of-life tyres management, including inefficient allocation of resources because of

imperfect information and externalities. However, questions remain over certain aspects of the identified

market failure. The purpose of this study is to examine in more detail the identified market failure aspects,

as well as investigating any market failure within and between the three major supply chains for tyres

entering the Australian market, which are, (a) tyres imported by consignment (tyre importers); (b) tyres

imported on vehicles (vehicle importers); and (c) domestically manufactured tyres (tyre manufacturers).

This study will provide input into the Regulation Impact Statement being developed for the proposed

tyres product stewardship agreement.

1.2 Requirements of this Study

The Terms of Reference for this study are included in Appendix A and are summarised below.

This study is an analysis of market failures applying to the management of End-of-life tyres in Australia,

with particular emphasis on investigating any environmental and human health externalities and

differences in impacts of the different supply chains for entry of tyres into use in Australia. The study is

required to focus on:

1. “The precise nature of any tyre industry wide market failure;

2. The precise nature of any supply chain specific market failures associated with the three major supply

chains, which are:

– tyres imported by consignment (tyre importers);

– tyres imported on vehicles (vehicle importers); and

– domestically manufactured tyres (tyre manufacturers).

SECTION 1

Introduction

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3. The extent to which any market failure applies to a particular tyres supplier, and the extent to which

there is any variation of any market failure between suppliers. This work should investigate the extent

to which any market failures vary between the management of tyres produced for original equipment

manufacturers, such as vehicles (whether imported or domestically manufactured) and tyres provided

for after market use, i.e. replacing tyres that entered the market on original equipment.”

4. The study is to “assess all stages and aspects of the life cycle of the suppliers’ tyres”, including

volumes and “current treatment of the tyres at end-of-life by suppliers of tyres”.

In addition the study is to assess “all stages and aspects of the life cycle of the tyre” including:

• “The volume of tyres (on a percentage basis) supplied to the market by each of the three supply

chains, and to the extent possible, the volume of tyres (on a percentage basis) presenting in the waste

stream from each of the three supply chains; and

• “The current treatment of the tyres at End-of-life by suppliers of tyres.”

The study is to assess all stages and aspects of the tyre life cycle including:

• “The impact on return/disposal practices of End-of-life tyres by the extent to which they are covered

under any warranty, particularly new vehicle warranty;

• “The impact on return/disposal practices of any preferred service provider contracts, particularly

between vehicle manufacturers and tyre retailers;

• “The impact on return/disposal practices of any contractual arrangements, particularly between

vehicle manufacturers and tyre recyclers or between tyre retailers and tyre recyclers, or between

vehicle manufacturers, tyre retailers and tyre recyclers; and if possible

• “The location of End-of-life tyres by supplier, including whether they are recycled, disposed of to

landfill, are exported or illegally dumped.”

1.3 Structure of the Report

The main body of this report is presented in five main sections. This Introduction as part of Section 1 has

provided the context of the study and an overview of the study requirements. Section 2 provides an

overview of the theoretical economic concepts of market failure as a context and foundation for the

analysis of the specific market failures within the end-of-life tyre market. The overview describes the

characteristics of market failures within the categories of externalities, undeveloped markets and

institutions, monopoly and non-competitive behaviour, information failures and public goods. Generic

examples of each market failure are provided.

Section 3 provides a brief description of the market arrangements for end-of-life tyres in Australia

followed by Section 4 which examines the market failure in End-of-life Tyre Markets of whether this

market displays any of the characteristics of the market failures described in Section 2. The section is sub

SECTION 1

Introduction

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divided into each of the market failures (externalities, public goods, information failures and monopoly,

competition and market structure) and the end-of-life tyre market is assessed to examine whether the

market demonstrates evidence of each of the market failures. Where evidence exists this has been

presented and where it has been possible quantified. The section ends with a discussion on the

implications of market failure for resource recovery.

Section 5 provides a description of the total new tyre market and its three major supply chains (tyres

imported by consignment (tyre importers), tyres imported on vehicles (vehicle importers); and

domestically manufactured tyres (tyre manufacturers)). It analyses whether or not there is any difference

between the various supply chains in regard to disposal arrangements. The section specifically examines

the disposal arrangements for the vehicle importers supply chain and concludes by discussing whether or

not the market failures as identified in Section 4 apply to a different extent to any of the tyre supply

chains, and if so, to what extent.

References for the study are included in Section 6 followed by the report Appendices.

SECTION 2

Market Failure

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2 Market Failure

2.1 What is ‘Market Failure’?

The term ‘market failure’ comes from the theoretical economic literature

. This section explains the

concepts of market failure. These concepts are then applied to Australia’s end-of-life tyre markets in

Section 4.

Generally, markets work very well for most goods and services to allocate resources in the most

economically efficient manner to ensure that the community obtains the greatest benefit from their use.

However, there may be circumstances where this is not the case, where markets, left to themselves,

cannot deliver outcomes that are as efficient as the theoretical ideal. In these circumstances, markets are

considered to “fail” in their role of efficiently allocating resources. Actions that effectively address the

sources of market failure may enhance economic efficiency if the benefits of intervention exceed the

costs. Dealing with market failure is an important rationale for government intervention and regulation.

In their quest to minimise regulatory burdens on business and the community, Australian governments

have agreed that they should only regulate when it is necessary (ORR, 1998). The Council of Australian

Governments (COAG) recent agreement on regulation reaffirmed commitment to this fundamental

principle (COAG 2006). For business regulation, this means ensuring that if regulation is proposed to

address areas of market failure, the regulation will be effective and economically efficient. This study

should be seen in this context.

The term ‘market failure’ is a theoretical concept. It should not be construed in its literal plain English

sense to infer that market forces are not at work or are not being permitted to work. Rather, the term is a

short-hand way of indicating that market forces are not able to work perfectly to deliver socially optimal

results. The term does not have a pejorative connotation. The concept provides a framework for

understanding whether a market, left to itself, can be expected to overcome a problem that has been

identified, or whether some intervention may be required. It is therefore fundamental to avoiding

unnecessary or poorly targeted regulation.

Black, in his Oxford Dictionary of Economics, explained the term as follows:

“A brief label for the view that the market does not provide a panacea for all economic problems....

[A]n unregulated market may fail to produce an ideal state of affairs” (Black, 1997, p. 290).

Several factors have been identified in the economics literature that can impede the operation of markets

to produce socially optimal outcomes and where government intervention is used to improve market

performance. These are:

A useful text on this subject is Ian Wills, Economics and the Environment: A signalling and incentives approach’2

Edition, Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest 2006.h

SECTION 2

Market Failure

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2-2

• Externalities, where private costs and benefits are not aligned with social costs and benefits. An

unregulated market reflects private costs and benefits. Where the private incentive to produce a good

is less than the net social benefit, it will be under-provided by the market relative to the social

optimum. Conversely, where the private incentives are to produce more than is optimal, it will be

over-provided, relative to the social optimum. An external cost arises when social costs are greater

than private costs. Environmental pollution is a classic example of an external cost that may not be

taken fully into account in private decision making. Such effects are sometimes known as

‘spillovers’ or ‘off-site impacts’. Environmental and health regulations are examples of government

attempts to overcome such externalities. Market–based instruments such as levies and subsidies are

now also being used to try to internalise social costs into private decision-making.

• Public goods, where it is not feasible to exclude anyone from consuming goods and services. This

form of market failure can arise where consumption by one individual does not diminish the amount

available to others (non-rivalry in consumption) or because the transactions costs of exclusion are

prohibitive. Defence, social institutions such as law and order and information are classic examples

of public goods that are non-rivalrous in consumption. Charging for general urban road use is an

example of the latter, where pricing has been infeasible.

Technology is changing the boundaries of public goods. Information now spreads across the globe

instantly, so that it is difficult to prevent others from acquiring it. The feasibility of pricing some

goods and services that have been considered public goods in the past is also changing. This is

affecting approaches to charging for household waste management, a service that has been

considered a public good.

Collective goods are a sub-set of public goods, where the goods and services are provided for the

mutual benefit of a group, such as an industry. For example, industry associations often collect and

distribute statistics and develop training programs for the benefit of their members.

Industry associations develop over time. Some environmental and natural resource goods and

services have not been traded traditionally. For example, until relatively recently, wastes, with the

exception of certain recyclables, were not considered to be ‘market’ goods. Where waste products

have not traditionally been traded and have been considered ‘non-market’ goods, industry

institutions will not generally be well developed. Thus, industries dealing in waste products, such as

end-of-life tyres, often do not have the institutional infrastructure to provide collective goods. .It

takes time and experience for industries to mature enough to develop the collective goods that enable

them to work efficiently.

When goods and services cannot be efficiently priced and are available to everyone in a society,

taxation is typically used to pay for it. For collective goods and services, levies or membership dues

support their provision. For example, levies on primary production support agricultural industry

marketing and research activities.

A critical issue here is that unless a mechanism like this is available to ensure that everyone who

benefits, pays, individuals may have an incentive not to pay. This is known as the “free-rider

problem”. For example, the number of subscribers who pay to support public radio stations is a small

SECTION 2

Market Failure

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2-3

proportion of the population that can listen to the services. With collective business services,

competitive pressures can erode voluntary financial support to the extent that they become unviable,

even though individuals may wish to ‘do the right thing’. Overcoming the free-rider problem is

another rationale for government intervention in markets to enable them to perform better.

• Information failures. Information is the lifeblood of markets. Market participants need to

understand the products on offer, the needs of consumers, the conditions of trade, supplies, demand,

prices and costs, and to be able to identify potential participants in the market. All of these require

information. Markets cannot operate optimally where consumers or producers do not have adequate

information to make informed decisions or to undertake transactions. However, information is also

costly. Achieving the optimum information level involves a trade-off between the benefits and costs

of information. Information is likely to be limited in newly developing areas with new products,

markets and operators.

Governments often intervene in markets to overcome information failures. Regulation is often used

in areas of high risk and where information is too technical to be widely understood, such as health

and safety. Information issues can also be tackled directly through provision of information and

transparent processes.

• Monopoly and non-competitive behaviour can lead to over-charging and restriction of supply of

goods and services relative to the social optimum. However, when economies of scale and scope are

available, the most efficient outcome may be a monopoly or oligopoly (a small number of firms).

‘Natural monopolies’ occur when economies of scale and scope are such that the only efficient

market structure is a monopoly. Utilities like electricity, water or household garbage collection and

waste management have traditionally been considered to be natural monopolies. Almost by

definition, such situations are likely to arise in the developmental stages of a market as firms develop

new and innovative products and processes.

Governments typically intervene in markets where competition may be restricted through

competition policy, specific regulation or public ownership. In recent years, this field of government

intervention has been subject to significant reform with improved understanding of the nature of

such markets and of the strengths and weaknesses of types of government intervention itself.

The relevance of these various sources of market failure to the markets for used tyres will be discussed in

Section 4.

SECTION 3

Market Arrangements for End-of-life

Tyres

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3 Market Arrangements for End-of-life Tyres

Market arrangements for dealing with end-of-life tyres cover the three supply chains by which new tyres

enter the market, the removal, collection, transport and storage of used tyres, and their re-use, processing

or disposal.

This section provides an overview of these market arrangements and examines the

applicability of the various concepts of market failure to them.

3.1 Overview of End-of-life Tyre Markets and Disposal

Arrangements

The Australian used tyre industry, which handles end-of-life tyres, is composed of a large number of

firms engaged in several different markets including retailing and refitting, collection, transport, storage,

reprocessing and disposal. Some markets, such as tyre retailing and reprocessing are relatively

concentrated, with a small number of large firms accounting for a major portion of the business, and a

large number of small firms accounting for the rest. A few large companies such as Beaurepaires and Bob

Jane dominate tyre retailing and refitting in Australia. The used tyre collection industry is highly

competitive, with some large operators and a large number of small individual operators (estimated about

70 operators nationally) (URS 2005, p. 33).

The number of used tyre processors is currently relatively small. They encompass a wide range of

activities, from retreading, shredding and chipping through to the manufacture of tyre-derived products.

Major players include Sims Tyrecycle and smaller individual operators (URS 2005, p. 34). The

transformation industry consists of a small number of firms. Sims Tyrecycle is the largest, followed by

others including AEM Regenerative Rubber, Chip Tyre and Affordable Rubber. The disposal sector

includes a large number of waste management facilities around Australia, and firms engaged in energy

recovery and export.

Figure 3.1 provides an indicative flow chart of tyre collection, transport and end use/disposal.

3.2 Tyre Removal

Tyres are removed from vehicles when they are worn, however some tyres are only partially worn and are

removed to obtain matching sets or upgrade tyre specifications for vehicles. The removal and replacement

of tyres is a specialised activity, generally undertaken at tyre dealers or vehicle dealers during servicing.

For larger tyres (such as truck, bus and off the road tyre suppliers generally have specialist tyre

maintenance contracts in place with some repairs and maintenance carried out from mobile service units.

On mine sites, earthmoving tyre suppliers will often provide a complete tyre maintenance service. When

tyres are replaced 95 percent of all used tyres are left at the tyre dealer (ACIL Consulting 2000, p.19) and

are generally stockpiled for collection by the tyre collection industry.

A full description of the end-of-life tyre market and disposal arrangements can be read in URS’ previous report Financial

and Economic Analysis of the Proposed Used Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme (2005).

SECTION 3

Market Arrangements for End-of-life

Tyres

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Figure 3-1: Tyre Collection, Transport and End use/Disposal Flow Chart

End of Life Tyres

Location of Tyre

Replacement & Disposal

Tyre Dealer

Vehicle Dealer

Mechanic

Other

Disposal

of Tyres

Three Tyre

Supply Chains

Tyre Collection

& Transport

Potential for

Storage/

Stockpiling

Decision

Point

Decisions based on:

Tyre condition

Tyre price paid

Transport

Distance

Other

Tyre

Transformation

& Recycling

Disposal

(Landfill or

Illegal

Dumping)

Re-treading

Reuse

Export

Source: Industry Sources and URS Analysis

3.3 Tyre Collection and Transport

Most collection is undertaken by small operators. While some tyre reprocessors are vertically integrated

and collect, transport, and reprocess, they mostly rely on individual collectors for much of their supply of

used tyres (ARRB Transport Research 2004, p.33).

The tyre collection and transportation industry is highly competitive with comparatively low barriers to

entry. The basic requirements are a vehicle and a license to carry tyres. This results in a large number of

collectors operating with low margins, and inevitably, considerable turnover as individuals enter and

leave the industry. This process can create considerable uncertainty with the supply chains to processors,

especially in respect to dislocation and interruption of collection and transport. This can be a particular

problem in regional markets where there are few operators. Marginal operators are forced to take a fairly

short term view of the used tyre market and its opportunities.

The collection phase is a key link in the end-of-life tyres supply chain. Collection and transport operators

determine the destination of used tyres as a function of their own business operations. They make

decisions on where tyres will be transported based on their expected profit outcomes from moving tyres

to landfill, retreading, export, or to transformation industries – the four main destinations for used tyres.

SECTION 3

Market Arrangements for End-of-life

Tyres

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The tyre collector is paid a fee to remove tyres from tyre or vehicle dealers, who in turn charges their

customers. As a minimum this fee covers the cost of collection, transport and landfilling, with the tyre or

vehicle dealers covering their costs of tyre handling. As a general rule this fee is $2.50 per EPU in the

metropolitan areas (URS 2005, page 35, section 4.1.3). If a better return can be made from other uses

such as retreading or transformation to tyre-derived products, then these routes will be followed. The cost

of collection and transport is influenced by the volume and distance transported. The fee structure for tyre

collections is shown in Table 3–1 below alongside the average disposal fee charged at the retailer:

Table 3-1: Approximate Disposal Fees

Disposal Fee @

Retailer $/EPU

Passenger

$/EPU

$/tonne

Metropolitan 2.50 1.10 ~125

Regional 3.50 2.40 ~275

Rural 5.00 4.00 ~438

Source: URS Analysis and ARRB Transport Research 2004, p.33

3.4 Tyre Disposal and Stockpiles

Current estimates suggest some 63 percent of all end-of-life tyres were legally disposed of in an

Australian landfill, which is equivalent to nearly 23 million EPUs, or about 70 percent of EPUs. Landfills

charge a disposal fee per tyre, per tonne of whole or shredded tyres. Current estimates suggest that this is

only 21 percent of EPUs or 23 percent of tyre numbers are reprocessed. Rates of legal and illegal disposal

and reprocessing vary significantly across the tyre categories. For example, it is estimated that 16 percent

of passenger tyres EPUs are illegally dumped against only 1 percent of truck tyres. This reflects the

relative profitability of reprocessing heavy truck tyres compared with smaller passenger tyres.

There is currently a move towards prohibiting land filling of whole tyres. South Australia, Tasmania,

Victoria, Western Australia and the Sydney metropolitan area have already banned this practice.

Due to these regulatory requirements, and the national trend toward shredding, disposers of waste tyres

must either pre-shred prior to disposal (paying a shredded tyre landfill fee) or alternatively they can

dispose of whole tyres but must pay a higher landfill charge to cover handling, coarse shredding, and

landfilling. Landfill disposal fees vary from facility to facility. They can be as low as $65 per tonne for

shredded tyres ($0.50-0.60 per EPU) and up to $150 per tonne for whole tyres requiring shredding ($1.20

per EPU) (URS 2005). Recent information has highlighted disposal costs as low as $20 per tonne at

landfills in NSW outside the greater Sydney region (ATRA 2006). Hence shredding and its related costs

are becoming a more important consideration in determining the direction of end-of-life tyres.

Table 3–2 overleaf provides a breakdown of current estimates of the direction of end-of-life tyres to

disposal and stockpiling (illegal or legal) or to reprocessing into tyre derived product. This data provides a

breakdown against six tyre classifications and is summarised in terms of numbers of tyres (Table 3-2).

SECTION 3

Market Arrangements for End-of-life

Tyres

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Table 3-2: Current Disposal of End-of-life Tyres (‘000s)

Total

Tyres

Motor

cycles

Passen

ger

Light

trucks

Truck

and bus

Speciali

ty tyres

OTR

Legal Landfill – Current 12,461 681 8,209 2,660 828 26 57

Illegal Dumping – Current 2,664 63 2,115 473 13 0 0

Tyre-Derived Products – Current 4,456 71 3,320 828 209 17 12

Totals 19,581 815 13,643 3,961 1,050 43 69

Legal Landfill – Current 64% 84% 60% 67% 79% 61% 83%

Illegal Dumping – Current 14% 8% 16% 12% 1% 0% 0%

Tyre-Derived Products – Current 23% 9% 24% 21% 20% 39% 17%

Totals ~100% ~100% ~100% ~100% ~100% ~100% ~100%

Source: URS Analysis. [Note: percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding]

Note for Table 3–2: Data is totalled down the columns

Table 3-3 below shows the share of each tyre category that is disposed illegally, legally or reprocessed

represented in EPUs.

Table 3-3: Current Disposal of End-of-life Tyres (‘000s EPUs)

Motor

cycles

Passen

ger

Light

trucks

Truck

and bus

Speciali

ty tyres

OTR

Total

EPUs

Legal Landfill – Current 340 8,209 5,319 4,140 132 5,703

23,843

Illegal Dumping – Current 32 2,115 947 63 0 0

3,156

Tyre-Derived Products – Current 35 3,320 1,655 1,045 83 1,197

7,335

Legal Landfill – Current 1% 34% 22% 17% 1% 24%

~100%

Illegal Dumping – Current 1% 67% 30% 2% 0% 0%

~100%

Tyre-Derived Products – Current 0% 45% 23% 14% 1% 16%

~100%

Source: URS Analysis. [Note: percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding]

Note for Table 3–3: Data is totalled along the rows from left to right

SECTION 3

Market Arrangements for End-of-life

Tyres

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3.4.1 Illegal Disposal and Stockpiling

In 2005 an estimated 3.2 million EPUs (Table 3-3) were illegally disposed or stockpiled. This represents

some 14 percent of all end-of-life tyres entering the waste stream. There exists some uncertainty

regarding the number, and proportion, of tyres that are either illegally disposed or stockpiled. At present

numbers are uncertain and probably vary between states and between urban and rural and regional areas.

The numbers presented in Table 3-3 were the most consistent currently available. Numbers that are

illegally disposed are usually expressed as annual rates, the size of stockpiles are generally expressed as

aggregate numbers.

Illegal storage and disposal generally refers to the dumping of tyres at sites that have failed to obtain the

required approvals or licenses or sites where deliberate illegal dumping has occurred. The incentive for

illegal dumping is lower disposal costs for the collector. Higher landfill disposal charges can encourage

this practice (Atech Group 2001, Pt.1, p.10). Recently, some NSW rural councils have developed

approaches aimed at reducing or eliminating the need to landfill tyres. Tyre retailers in these areas are

finding it difficult to dispose of tyres legally (NSW DEC 2004). Currently in NSW there are 10 licences

issued for Used Tyre Processing or Disposal (NSW DEC 2006a). Sustainability Victoria has recently

cracked down on an increase in illegal dumping in the North West and Central Regions of Victoria,

stating that despite the general public paying fees to have their tyres disposed of appropriately that these

tyres were being illegally dumped or stockpiled (EPA VIC). Disposal of tyres illegally carries heavy fines

in various jurisdictions around Australia and prosecutions are undertaken (NSW DEC 2006b).

Historic stockpiles include illegally dumped tyres, industry stockpiles, and dedicated tyre landfill cells

from which tyres can potentially be extracted in the future for recycling (as in Victoria) (ARRB Transport

Research 2004, p.45). The number of used tyres currently in stockpiles around Australia has been

estimated at 20 million EPU (ARRB Transport Research 2004, p.9) although this figure is unreliable as

there is no accurate record keeping of tyre disposal practices.

3.5 Tyre Transformation

A small number of tyre transformers process end-of-life tyres into various products (refer to Appendix C).

They include SIMS Tyrecycle (VIC, NSW, QLD, SA), AEM Regenerative Rubber (NSW), Chip Tyre

(QLD) and Affordable Rubber (QLD), and Reclaim Industries (WA). The process of transformation

requires machinery that gradually reduces the tyres into smaller and refined or purified particles

(shredding, chopping, granulating and grinding). The largest industry operator, SIMS Tyrecycle, collects

and disposes of approximately 66,500 tonnes of tyres per year, estimated at 28 percent of the annual flow

of end-of-life tyres) as well as buffings. It is understood that not all of these tyres are processed into tyre

derived product. Some tyres are processed to produce rubber crumb (TC5). About 10,000 tonnes of

rubber crumb were produced from used tyres in 2005, representing 56 percent of all rubber crumb

produced in Australia.

There are generally three broad classifications of end use markets utilising tyre-derived products in

Australia. These include: civil engineering; energy (fuel source – AFR); and material recovery (rubber,

steel and fabric). A wide range of products is produced from used tyres including civil engineering

SECTION 3

Market Arrangements for End-of-life

Tyres

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materials (retaining walls), equestrian surfaces; soft fall surfacing and sub-flooring; matting; rubberised

asphalt and spray seals for road application; fillers in adhesives; and input for elastomers (Appendix C).

The previous URS report Financial and Economic Analysis of the Proposed Used Tyre Product

Stewardship Scheme (2005) analysed current markets and their growth potential as summarised in

Table 3-4.

Table 3-4: Current and Potential Size of Tyre Derived End Use Markets

End Use Tyre-Derived

Products Input

Current Used

Tyre Inputs

Potential Used

Tyre Inputs

Civil Engineering

Retaining Walls, Foundations,

Pavings & Erosion Control

TC1 1,400 tonnes

174,000 EPU

40,000 tonnes

5 million EPU

Stemming TC4 Granulate 0 tonnes (trials only) 55,000 tonnes

9.4 million EPU

Landfill Engineering TC3, TC4 Granulate 0 tonnes (trials only) Unknown

Energy

Tyre Derived Fuel TC1, TC2, TC3 9,740 tonnes

1.2 million EPU

110,000

tonnes

13.8 million EPU

Blasting Material TC4 Buffing 0 tonnes (trials only) 74,000 tonnes

12.6 million EPU

Rubber & Material Recovery

Road Surfacing TC5 915 tonnes

160,125 EPU

90,000 tonnes

15.8 million EPU

Flooring & Mats TC4, TC5 10,850 tonnes

2.12 million EPU

15,850 tonnes

3.21 million EPU

Moulded Products TC4 Buffing, TC5 10,000 tonnes

2.2 million EPU

13,000 tonnes

4.3 million EPU

Adhesives TC5 6,000 tonnes

1.1 million EPU

10,000 tonnes

1.8 million EPU

Steel Unknown Unknown

Textile 0 tonnes Unknown

Source: Industry Sources and URS Analysis (URS 2005)

The difference between the current usage volumes and suggested potential demands of used tyres is

striking. Indicative gross margin analysis suggested that for TC4, 5 and 6 products, current prices exceed

collection and transformation costs for tyres sourced from urban areas. Returns for other TC products and

for tyres sourced from regional and rural areas is less favourable. Positive returns are not the sole

Note: Potential inputs of used tyres is based on stakeholder feedback and estimates for growth

Cement Industry Federation letter to DEH 6 June 2006

SECTION 3

Market Arrangements for End-of-life

Tyres

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indicator of potential demand for TC product. They still need to be competitive with the cost of virgin

materials, as well as being profitable in their own right.

SECTION 4

Market Failure in End-of-life Tyre

Markets

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4 Market Failure in End-of-life Tyre Markets

Market failure can arise from several sources, as outlined in Section 2.1. The questions for this study are

how these concepts apply to the Australian end-of-life tyre markets; and whether and to what extent the

various forms of market failure distort resource allocation in these markets.

Market failure can arise from any or all of the following:

• Externalities;

• Public and collective goods;

• Information failures; and

• Monopoly and restricted competition.

The applicability of each of these to Australian end-of-life tyre markets is examined in turn.

4.1 Externalities

Externalities can arise in any sector of the end-of-life tyre markets, including stockpiling and disposal by

both legal and illegal methods. Disposal externalities such as fire, environmental and health risk are often

cited, but they can also result from transport and reprocessing.

4.1.1 Disposal Externalities

Emissions from Decomposition

Tyres are largely inert in landfill and in the landscape. They do not break down readily as they have been

engineered to maintain their integrity in use. This is especially so in landfills where their formulation

renders them largely chemically inert.

Nevertheless, there is some evidence that landfilling and stockpiling of used tyres can contribute to

leaching of inorganic and organic chemicals (UK Environment Agency Report 1998, Section 4.5). They

can also contribute to the release of landfill gas and leachates with the potential to create toxicity on the

natural environment (Hird, Griffiths and Smith, p.37). Data are currently limited on the toxicity of tyre

leachate to terrestrial organisms.

Preliminary studies indicate that leachate from tyres may, under certain circumstances, be toxic to aquatic

organisms. Leachate from tyre pieces and crumbs appears to be more toxic than leachate from whole

tyres, but only whole tyres are likely to be used in the aquatic environment for purposes such as bumpers

on piers and artificial reefs (EPA 2001).

No estimates of the extent of chemical leaching and gas emissions from the decomposition of tyres are

available for Australia. It is not possible to quantify the externalities involved. However, they do not

SECTION 4

Market Failure in End-of-life Tyre

Markets

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4-2

appear to be a significant source of emissions relative to decomposition of other materials in landfills and

in aquatic environments. This does not appear to be a significant source of environmental external cost.

Pest breeding

Bulk locations of waste tyres (in stockpiles and landfills) can act as breeding sites for mosquitoes and

other vermin (Atech Report 2001, Part 1, p.17). According to the South Australian EPA, mosquitoes are

attracted to the rainwater that builds up in the wells of the tyres, and the warm, dark environment. A

single tyre can nurture hundreds of larvae. These pests can create health risks for humans and animals in

the vicinity of stockpiles (Liu, Mead and Stacer 1998).

Diseases associated with mosquitoes in Australia include dengue fever and Ross River virus. (SA EPA

2003, p.1). One U.S. study showed that in the study area, 80 percent of the children suffering from

mosquito-vectored disease lived within 100 yards of a tyre dump (Liu, Mead and Stacer 1998).

Whether tyres account for more than a marginal increase in mosquito breeding and in the risks of

mosquito-borne disease in Australia is not clear. It is however a more avoidable risk than natural

mosquito breeding sites. While breeding of mosquitoes and other pests constitutes an external cost, it is

not possible to quantify it.

Legal landfill management

Although tyres do not degrade readily, whole tyres are difficult to manage in landfills. Intact tyres can

collect land fill gas (produced by decomposing waste) and create potential fire hazards (see below). Over

time, tyres can also “float” to the surface, where they can damage cover layers. While this imposes costs

on landfill operators, that is not an external cost. The cost of preventing and dealing with this

phenomenon should be incorporated in landfill charges and operating procedures; alternatively it may be

internalised to disposers by requiring pre-treatment such as shredding.

There are however, a number of old landfill sites where such provisions have not been made. The costs

were not borne by those disposing of the tyres in this way, so the costs of ongoing management can be

considered a legacy external cost as the resource misallocation has already occurred. Landfill operators

should be able to quantify these legacy costs, as they are market-based costs. However, information is not

available to enable quantification for this study.

Illegal Dumping

Illegal disposal generally refers to the dumping or stockpiling of tyres at unlicensed sites or at sites that

have failed to obtain the required approvals or licenses for disposal or processing. Current estimates

suggest about 3.2 million EPUs were illegally disposed in Australia (9 percent of EPUs), or some 14

percent of all end-of-life tyres entering the waste stream per annum (see Table 3-2). Estimates suggest

that passenger tyres make up about two-thirds of the total number of EPUs illegally dumped, and light

truck tyres some 30 percent (Table 3-3). Heavy truck tyres represent only two percent of dumped EPUs.

SECTION 4

Market Failure in End-of-life Tyre

Markets

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This relatively low share reflects the higher profitability of reprocessing truck tyres.

Tyres disposed of illegally carry zero immediate cost to the transporter, collector or disposer, although

they are exposed to the risk of substantial fines or other penalties for illegal actions. This zero disposal

charge in comparison to the costs of legal landfill is a chief motivator for illegal disposal. Tyres are

typically disposed illegally in remote locations, which mean that these tyres can be expensive to remove.

In addition, if tyres are covered with soil or are underground, then extraction costs are also high (URS

2005).

Illegal disposal can also have adverse effects in the landscape. Dumping in gullies can block creeks and

rivers and change water flows (NSW DEC 2004 and Atech Report 2001, Part 1, p.18). They are also an

eyesore (Atech Report 2001, Part 1, p.17).

Tyres are sometimes dumped in gullies by landholders attempting to deal with soil erosion. However

unless specifically engineered for the task this application is not effective as tyres can become mobile

during floods, damage neighbouring properties, harbour vermin and weeds and pose a fire risk. In South

Australia erosion control programs using waste tyres must be licensed (SA EPA). Tasmania allows for

certain agricultural and civil uses as defined under its guidelines (DPI TAS).

This practice indicates the importance of maintaining perspective in considering private and social costs

and benefits. If the tyres used in this manner work as a control measure, this should not be considered

illegal dumping but reuse, akin to other civil engineering uses such as artificial reefs. If the erosion

control is successful, eventually vegetation will be re-established but the tyres will remain, with all of

their costs. If tyres are not generally effective in controlling erosion, then the practice imposes net costs

from the start. Improved information would enable landholders to make better informed decisions about

the use of end-of-life tyres in the landscape.

The costs to local authorities and landowners of cleaning up illegal tyre dumps can be quite substantial.

Illegal dumping imposes external costs because those responsible for dumping cannot be identified and

the current landowner or society at large is liable for both the usual costs of disposal as well as the

incremental clean up costs (Atech Report 2001, Appendix 2). Costs of cleanup vary depending on the

location of the dump, the difficultly in removal and the legal landfilling costs.

Earlier estimates based on quotes to clean up a large tyre dump greater than 100,000 tyres) were up to

$1.65 per tyre (Atech Report 2001, Appendix 2). In this report it was stated that cleanup costs for smaller

dumps would be higher. At the Gold Coast in 2000 a number of illegal tyre dumps in bushland cost more

than $10,000 for removal, shredding and correct disposal (QLD 2000). Current examples from California

state that 3,000 illegally dumped EPUs cost authorities between $US2.25 – $3 per tyre to cleanup

(CIWMB 2006b). Examples from England and Wales cite costs of over £2.0M of tax payer’s money per

annum to cleanup illegally disposed (fly tipped) tyres (DEFRA 2004) £330,000 to clean up 10,000 tyres

(North Lincolnshire Council 2006).

A number of published papers and reports list expected environmental impacts but these have not been

well quantified for the Australian context. A base line measure of impact may be provided by using

estimates of cleanup costs to remove illegally dumped tyres. The annual cost is estimated to be over $4

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million (or some $35 million over 10 years) (URS 2005). This excludes the cost of cleanup of Australia’s

large illegal stockpiled of used tyres, which is likely to double the cleanup cost from $35 million to $70

million over ten years. These costs are purely market-based costs. They do not include any of the non-

market (external) costs cited above, such as pest breeding, blocking of waterways or fire.

4.1.2 Fire Risk

Tyres are flammable. When in a concentrated mass they pose a fire risk. Underground tyre fires can be

very difficult and costly to control. Stockpiling, landfilling and bulk storage of used tyres all have the

potential to lead to fires, even underground. Such fires are particularly difficult to control. There have

been a number of fires involving tyres at landfills in Australia and around the world.

Tyre fires have serious environmental and health impacts because:

• They can be difficult to control and extinguish;

• Uncontrolled pyrolysis of tyres produces a complex mixture of chemical residues and particles, some

of which are toxic to humans, fauna and flora and some of which may inhibit the biota on which

landfill processes depend; and

• The vapours and fallout pollute the atmosphere.

A tyre fire at Bindoon, WA in 1990 is estimated to have cost the WA EPA $600,000 to clean-up a

contaminated watercourse. Recreational activities and businesses in neighbouring properties were also

adversely affected by air pollution (NSW DEC 2004). A similar tyre fire in 1992 in Salisbury, QLD is

reported to have cost the fire brigade $750,000 and a fire at a retail tyre outlet in Sydney in 2002 caused

the hospitalisation of people from surrounding areas due to respiratory concerns. The runoff of water used

in fighting tyre fires also has the potential to pollute waters (NSW DEC 2004) as water on tyre fires often

increases the production of pyrolytic oil and provides a mode of transportation to carry the oils off-site

and speed up contamination of soils and water (CIWMB 1996).

Underground tyre fires are particularly problematic as they can be so difficult to control. A UK

Environment Agency Report (1998, Section 4.2 & 4.7) indicated that a tyre fire in a tip containing 10

million buried tyres burned for more than 10 years underground. Tyre fires in landfills threaten the on-

going operation of the facility and can release pollutants into the soil and groundwater.

In addition, tyre fires have the potential to impact on human and animal health as a result of the air quality

and pollution created from the toxic smoke created. Many chemicals carried in the smoke, some of which

are mutagens and carcinogens, have been identified in the emissions from both the controlled and

uncontrolled burning of rubber tires (CIWMB 1996). The smoke contains many tiny particles (smaller

than 10 µm) small enough to the inhaled into the deep lung (CIWMB 2002). The major carcinogens of

concern are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s) as well as heavy metals contamination of zinc and

lead (CIWMB 1998). These can cause acute health effects including eye, nose and throat irritation and

exacerbate asthma and repertory conditions and the potential to exacerbate pre-existing heart conditions,

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confirming that the most significant public health risks appear to be people with asthma, heart and lung

diseases (CIWMB 2002).

Australian authorities have imposed stricter fire controls on tyre storage facilities in recent years. This has

led to fewer fires in recent times. The costs of these fire control measures can be considered a means of

internalising what would otherwise have been external costs. Information is not available to estimate the

value of remaining fire risks from tyre disposal and storage, particularly as the greatest risks are probably

posed by illegal tyre dumps.

Transport

Transport costs are a significant factor in determining the fate of used tyres in Australia. Whether an end-

of-life tyre is reprocessed – or even collected – will depend upon its location and the costs of transporting

it to a facility such as a transformer or a legal landfill. If low back-loading freight rates are available,

transport of used tyres can become financially more attractive, even from relatively remote locations.

Transport gives rise to external costs through emission of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the

atmosphere and wear and tear on roads. Such external costs are not unique to used tyres, however, as they

apply to all types of cargo. Such external costs should be included in any evaluation of the benefits and

costs of transporting used tyres.

Reprocessing Waste and Emissions

Manufacturing activities generate waste and can also generate emissions to the environment. While all

manufacturing facilities, including tyre transformers, have to meet environmental standards, the

environmental costs of any waste products must also be considered in any evaluation of external benefits

and costs. When tyres are used for energy and burnt, for example, the character of the waste residues will

change and particulate matter and substances such as sulphur may be mobilised. The extent of any

external costs will depend upon the extent of emissions and treatment of residues from the reprocessing

activities.

No information is available to quantify the external costs of reprocessing tyres in Australia.

4.2 Public and Collective Goods

Public and collective goods cannot be provided at the socially optimal level without intervention in the

market. If an individual cannot appropriate the benefits, such a good is unlikely to be provided adequately

in the absence of government or collective action among those who benefit. Research is an area that is

often under-provided because of the inability of the researcher to appropriate the benefits of the research.

This appears to apply to the waste tyre industry as well.

Collective goods are typically provided by industries for their members. They include such services as the

development of standards, collection of statistics and generic marketing and information, as well as the

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building of market institutions. New industries, with immature markets, lack both the industry institutions

and the services that they can provide. The transactions costs of developing such arrangements can be

significant in the short term. Lack of industry standards is one factor that appears to be retarding end-of-

life tyre industry development and expansion (see Section 4.4 below).

Socially Suboptimal Investment in R&D

It could be argued that insufficient funding of beneficial applied research is hindering product

development and the development of a viable End-of-life tyre industry. It is difficult to protect the

intellectual property involved in many innovative applications for waste tyres. Such firms feel that they

are unable to capture the benefits from an investment. Given the high risks in undertaking and

implementing research and their small size, individuals and firms in the tyres industry are not encouraged

to embark on R&D investment unless the potential rewards are correspondingly high. This is despite such

developments potentially benefiting and making society better off (Atech Report 2001, Part 2, p.4).

For example, a company developed the technology to create rubberised trays for mining trucks using tyre-

derived products. It decided not to launch the product, despite the time and money invested, as it was

concerned that its idea would be copied by competitors. Similarly, uses had been found for the fibre

recovered from tyres but its application was closely guarded (Confidential Industry Source).

The lack of industry players willing to invest in R&D for tyre-derived products was highlighted in a

number of URS industry discussions in the 2005 report. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial

Research Organisation (CSIRO) indicated that firms in the tyre industry were reluctant to assist funding

research of advanced transformation technologies for used tyres into a higher grade of rubber crumb

(TC5) for use in road surfaces and a range of other products (Personal Communication

2005). This was

despite the potential benefits to transformers, end market producers and end users.

The majority of the research undertaken in the use of rubber modified asphalt has been undertaken not by

the industry but by state government road authorities (URS Report 2005, p.73). Public provision of

research services is a common remedy to perceived inadequacy of private R&D.

While Australia can benefit from other countries’ R&D for uses of end-of-life tyres, some local research

will be required for applications that are sensitive to Australian conditions, such as roads.

While it seems likely that there is some market failure in the provision of research services, it is difficult

to estimate its extent. Furthermore, identifying the probable existence of the market failure does not

indicate what, if anything, should be done about it. Many, areas of research would claim to be under-

provided and compete for limited public research funds. Determining what, if any, public resources are

devoted to research into used tyre technology or market applications requires assessment of likely

benefits and costs relative to alternative areas of research. Areas of research where the industry as a whole

would benefit might be amenable to collective industry action when the industry is mature enough to

support provision of collective services.

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Collective Goods

Markets for waste tyres are relatively undeveloped in Australia. This applies to varying extents through

all stages of the waste tyre industry, from collection to reprocessing, reuse and disposal. This is also

reflected in the poor information available about tyre-derived products (see below). This issue was

analysed in the previous URS report (URS 2005).

Australia’s used tyre industries have not yet developed the industry institutions and arrangements that can

provide the collective goods that many other industries enjoy. There appears to be little cooperation

between transformers and end market producers to connect with each other and work together as a

consolidated industry. Small operators in particular, are not connected to each other as the transactions

costs of dealing with each other are too high.

A number of participants in the industry told URS of this situation during the 2005 Report consultations.

One major area where transformers do not currently cooperate, but where they thought it would be

beneficial to all players, is in the generic marketing and advertising of tyre-derived products to potential

users and the broader population. Individual producers would not be able to appropriate the benefits of

such generic services, so in the absence of collective action they will be underprovided. Collection of

industry statistics, development of quality standards, generic marketing and industry research have all

been identified as issues that might be improved by the collective action of those involved in the end-of-

life tyre industries.

Quality standards are another example of under-developed collective services for the end-of-life tyre

industries. The quality of supply of tyre-derived products across the industry suffers as a result of the lack

or poor enforcement of collective industry quality standards. While some transformers produce quality

controlled products for their individual markets, industry research has indicated both lack of standards for

many products and inconsistent conformity to those standards that do exist. This means that size, shape

and purity of tyre-derived products are not uniform across the industry, creating uncertainty for end

market producers as to the type and quality of inputs they will receive from a transformer.

Tyre-derived products can vary between transformers or between batches produced. This is an issue for

producers using these tyre-derived products as inputs into other products, e.g. rubber flooring. Industry

research has indicated that end market producers and end users can have difficulty finding quality,

standardised products that are fit for their purpose. URS discussions with Allied Rubber in 2005 indicated

that the lack of uniformity across the industry, combined with the perception that tyre-derived substitutes

for natural rubber are of a poorer quality, were the principal reasons behind Allied Rubber deciding not to

used recycled tyre inputs in their rubber products (Personal Communication

2005).

The reasons for this include:

• Larger transformers have been able to set up more stable supply arrangements with tyre collectors

while smaller transformers have difficulty securing supplies; and

• Some transformers require tyres of particular quality, e.g. they cannot use tyres that are too dirty or

damaged. The market is not currently set up to encourage transformation and recycling and many

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smaller collectors lack facilities for sorting to meet quality standards. As a result, a proportion of

waste tyres that are fit for transformation are not removed from the waste stream and are disposed of

in landfill.

Industry institutions are likely to develop as the industry matures, as they have in other industries, and

indeed, there is evidence of their germination already. Collective action is easier the smaller the number

of firms. Conversely, it can be more difficult in sectors that are highly competitive with large numbers of

small operators. Ultimately, the industry players have to be convinced of the benefits of collective action.

If they do not see the benefits of such services, the industry institutions will not develop quickly. In such

industries, it is not uncommon for those companies with longer time horizons and greater financial

strength to bear a disproportionate share of the costs of developing new industry associations and their

collective services.

The value of the market failure involved in the industries’ inability to provide collective goods is linked to

the information failures outlined below.

4.3 Information

Poorly informed markets do not operate efficiently. Currently, statistics relating to the used tyre markets

are poor. Entry to the industry will be limited if potential players are not aware of the opportunities

available. Poor information to consumers of new tyres and potential users of tyre-derived products could

also be impeding the development of these markets.

Poor Statistics

Studies, such as the ATEC 2001 report ‘A National Approach to Waste Tyres’, concluded that statistics

on manufacturing and imports of new tyres as well as used tyre disposal, reuse and recycling, are poor.

The number of new tyres entering the market can be estimated from production and import statistics, and

verified via the number of vehicle registrations. However, it is more difficult to estimate the size and

composition of the used tyre waste stream. For the waste tyre industry, the lack of monitoring of used

tyres means that collectors, transporters, transformers, end market producers and waste management

authorities and regulators do not have good information about the supply of used tyres as inputs, or to

enable monitoring of compliance with environmental and waste management regulations.

URS consultations with councils and other government departments for the 2005 report revealed

significant gaps in data, and reliance on estimation rather than quality statistics. For example, the number

of stockpiled and illegally disposed tyres across Australia is an estimate only, which is not backed by high

quality national data

. South Australia has a docketing system to track whole used tyres in place, NSW

planned to implement a used tyre tracking scheme under the 1998 Tyre Industry Waste Reduction Plan,

and Queensland and the Northern Territory proposed tracking schemes for 2001 (NSW EPA 1998, p.10).

However, the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation indicated that the proposed tracking

Discussions with various Environmental Protection Agencies (URS 2005)

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scheme had not been implemented, and there is no indication that the other states’ schemes have been

effective in collecting the data for the industry to use (Personal Communication

2005). In addition, four

jurisdictions (VIC, WA, ACT, and NT) had no tracking schemes in place in 2001(Atech Report 2001,

Part 1, p.13-14) although a tracking system has been introduced in WA.

However, information is costly. While poor information may be a market failure, it is also necessary to

ask whether the benefits of better information justify the costs of collecting it and making it available.

Related questions are who should collect the information and pay for it?

If the information is largely to ensure compliance with public policy, then governments would be

expected to resource information collection and analysis. However, if the major beneficiaries of better

information are likely to be companies involved in the tyre markets, then private provision could be

appropriate. In other industries, individual firms and industry associations collect and analyse market

information. Provision of information to the industry is an example of a collective good that could be

provided by industry participants, acting together.

Consumer Information

Better information for consumers of new tyres about disposal and recycling could influence their

decisions about purchase. However, lack of information on end-of-life issues does not constitute a market

failure if such information would not change purchase or disposal behaviour. Merely establishing that

information is poor does not identify market failure – the essential element of market failure is that the

poor information distorts resource allocation decisions.

Would better information about disposal practices change consumers’ decisions about which dealer they

used? Across the tyre industry, there are currently no consistent arrangements for informing consumers

about disposal arrangements and costs. Many consumers are not made aware that the cost they pay for a

replacement tyre encompasses the cost of collection, and then transportation of their used tyres on to a

number of different destinations including: (1) landfilling; (2) illegal disposal; (3) stockpiling; or (4)

transformation into a range of tyre-derived products and end market products. Consumers of new tyres

are not necessarily made aware of the $2-2.50 per EPU fee charged by tyre dealers at point of sale when

tyres are replaced.

The $2.50 fee per passenger tyre is greater than the suggested levy necessary to fund the proposed

product stewardship Scheme, aimed at realising a greater proportion of the resource value embedded in

tyres (URS 2005). The $2.50 is far greater than actual disposal costs of $1 to $1.50 and is a measure of

the extent of the combined effects of undeveloped markets and poor information. Poor information to

consumers about disposal costs reduces competitive pressure and effective consumer choice about tyre

disposal.

URS’ discussions with car dealers, car servicers and tyre dealers have indicated that this fee is sometimes

disclosed as an “environmental levy” or “scrap tyre fee”, and it is sometimes not disclosed at all. It is

understood by players in the industry that the purpose of these fees is to cover the costs of collection, and

encompasses the fee that is paid to tyre collectors. When this fee is not disclosed, consumers have no

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understanding of what they are paying for or why. Even if a fee is displayed on an invoice, it appears that

consumers are not made aware that this “environmental levy” is related to the cost of used tyre collection.

As this fee may be higher than the cost to actually collect and transform/dispose of a tyre (URS 2005,

p.ES-3), consumers are not able to make informed decisions on the end use of their used tyres.

Users of Tyre-Derived Products

Poor information about the characteristics, quality and availability of tyre-derived products will impede

end user acceptance. Potential users of products that contain recycled tyres may not receive adequate or

sufficient information that either: (1) informs them that these products exist; or that (2) the products are of

a quality suitable for use. Potential users or end market producers may believe that transformed products

offer poor value. They also need a reason to change their sources of supply (Atech Report 2001, Part 2,

p.4).

Examples of poor information impeding the use of tyre-derived products have been reported in the road

surfacing industry, where polymers and substitutes for rubber crumb are still favoured in states such as

Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia (Personal Communication

and Personal

Communication

2005). Two road contractors using rubber crumb in seals, indicated that rubber crumb is

cheaper than polymer substitutes. However, the Queensland Department of Main Roads believed that

polymers are cheaper, principally because they have seen no evidence to the contrary (Personal

Communication

and Personal Communication

2005). There appears to be a lack of information in the

market about the advantages that tyre transformed products can provide, partly due to a lack of quality

standards and research and development. Road authorities are unlikely to commit to a new product if it is

untested and may not be as durable as a product made from virgin materials.

The lack of industry specifications on the shape, size and quality of tyre-derived products could be

impeding their acceptance and use. Without specifications on standards and uniformity, potential users

are unlikely to specify products containing recycled tyres. Inconsistent product quality is also more likely

in the absence of industry standards. However, not all quality issues are related to market failures related

to information and lack of collective industry services. Inconsistent quality in manufactured products is

due to company-specific operations, not market failure.

In summary, it seems likely that lack of quality standards and poor information to potential users about

the benefits of tyre-derived products may be impeding the development of the market and could be

considered a market failure. It is allied to the immaturity of the markets themselves.

4.4 Monopoly, Competition and Market Structure

Australian tyre markets are relatively competitive (Section 3.1). Retailing of new tyres is the most

concentrated sector, with a few large retailers accounting for a high proportion of sales, and a large

number of small firms accounting for the rest. Collection, transport and disposal are highly competitive,

with a large number of small operators spread around the country, although there may be limited

competition in these sectors at the local level. Among recyclers and transformers there are a few large

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firms, but this part of the industry is quite diverse, with a number of small companies also producing a

variety of products. Barriers to entry to any of these sectors of the end-of-life tyre industry are low,

relative to, for example, the petro-chemical manufacturing industry generally.

The organisation of the industry is influenced by the need to secure reliable supplies of end-of-life tyre

inputs for processing. URS was informed during the previous study that efforts by some operators to

develop long-term continuous collection services on a small scale had been frustrated by pre-existing

arrangements for large batch collections of stockpiled tyres. The need to secure reliable supplies has led

to pressure for vertical integration and alliances with collectors. This puts competitive pressure on those

that are not vertically integrated or have not secured supplies, and encourages them to make similar

arrangements.

Such industry arrangements and the economies of scale and scope available to larger firms can lead to

significant differences in costs and prices throughout the industry. During previous industry consultations,

some smaller companies were not able to compete with larger players on conditions of supply, prices of

inputs or prices for their products. Given the immature nature of the industry and the differences in scale

and costs between large and small operators, differences in costs and prices could be expected and would

not, in themselves be evidence of anti-competitive conduct or market failure.

It does not appear that lack of competition constitutes a source of market failure in relation to end-of-life

tyre markets.

4.5 Quantifying Market Failure in End-of-life Tyre Markets

Volumes of waste to landfill or illegal disposal are either symptomatic of market failure or simply the

result of a lack of profitable opportunity to use that waste. Discussions above suggest areas of market

failure.

Gross margin analysis results (URS 2005) suggest there are further profitable uses of end-of-life tyres in

excess to current levels of reprocessing. These results show that greater volumes could be reprocessed

profitably, with a net value of $70 million generated from additional levels of resource recovery over the

next ten years. This value is net of any level of investment in mechanisms that may be necessary to

facilitate that level of recovery, and the reductions in landfill costs, but the results showed a positive net

present value overall.

The URS (2005) study showed that profitable options for increased levels of reprocessing exist, especially

in urban areas. Market failure or time lags in investment in industry expansion are a cause of this

suggested loss in urban areas at least. Lower levels of resource recovery from rural and regional areas

may also be affected by the same market failures, but are predominately a result of higher collection costs

– options are less viable financially.

All current uses of end-of-life tyres do not appear to be economically efficient. URS (2005) analysis

suggested a levy cost of less than $1.00 per EPU would be sufficient to encourage reprocessing with

positive net values. The potential saving to consumers of passenger tyres alone is a NPV of $155 million

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over ten years with the annual costs of $19.5 million in the first year. Accounting for all tyres, with the

exception OTRs, the NPV increases to $280 million over ten years with the annual costs of $35.5 million

in the first year. This provides an indication of the costs to consumers of current market distortions caused

primarily by poor information, immature market institutions and inability of the industry to provide

collective goods.

The table below summarises the extent of market failures associated with end-of-life tyres, quantifying

impacts where that is possible.

Table 4-1: Market Failures

Market Failure Applicable to

End-of-Life Tyres

Extent/Quantification

External costs

• Environmental

Yes Marginal

• Health

Yes Marginal

• Fire risk

Yes Significant but tighter regulation has

reduced in recent years in urban areas

• Illegal disposal

Yes > $35 to $70 million over 10 years

Public and collective goods Yes

Information failures Yes

Up to $280 million over 10 years

Monopoly and restricted competition No Not Applicable

TOTAL > $315 to $350 million over 10 years

Source: URS Analysis, assuming that product stewardship scheme eliminates these costs over the 10 year life of the scheme.

It should be noted that whilst Environmental external costs are marginal, Health, Fire Risk and Illegal

disposal external costs also contain a portion of environmental external costs in their respective impacts.

An example would be the environmental impact of toxic smoke and leachate from tyre fires.

The estimates of the costs of lack of collective goods and information failures are based on the analysis

conducted for the development of the products stewardship scheme. They assume that both issues are

eliminated over the ten year period of the scheme. If mitigation measures are not introduced, the current

costs of $35.5 million per annum would continue from the public and collective goods and information

failures.

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5 Tyre Supply Chai ns and Market Failure

This section of the report presents quantifiable data for the total tyre market (new tyres supplied into the

markets) and the three major supply chains, being tyres imported by consignment (tyre importers), tyres

imported on vehicles (vehicle importers); and domestically manufactured tyres (tyre manufacturers). The

section goes on to discuss the nature of the disposal arrangements of tyres from new vehicle dealers

representing vehicle manufactures that are members of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

(FCAI). The section then concludes by discussing whether or not the market failures as identified in

Section 4 apply to a different extent to any of the tyre supply chains and if so to what extent.

FCAI represent the following vehicle manufactures and importers: Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, BMW,

Chrysler-Jeep, Citroen, Daihatsu, Ferrari, Fiat, Ford, GM Holden Ltd, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Land

Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Proton, Porsche,

Renault, Rolls-Royce, Saab, Smart, SsangYong, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo. These

brands manufacture and import predominately passenger vehicles

and SUVs

A number of these brands manufacture vehicles in Australia as well as import, such as Ford, GM Holden

Ltd, Mitsubishi and Toyota, however, the majority of the brands import all vehicles.

FCAI also represents the following motor cycle manufactures Aprilia, BMW Motorcycles, BRP Australia

Pty Ltd, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Honda MPE, Kawasaki, Paul Feeney Group, Polaris, Suzuki and

Yamaha. It is understood that FCAI do not represent truck and bus manufactures.

By their very nature vehicles entering the market in Australia include OEM tyres. All imported vehicles

are fitted with tyres at the point and country of manufacture. The majority of domestic manufactured

vehicles are fitted with domestic tyres, however, some domestic vehicles are fitted with imported loose

tyres, particularly high performance tyres.

5.1 Overview of the Tyre Supply Chains

5.1.1 Current Tyres in Use

There are an estimated 74.3 million tyres (approximately 130 million EPUs) currently in use (estimates

derived from the ABS Motor Vehicle Census 2005 (ABS 2005) as well as updating of data gained from

an earlier consultative process (URS 2005)) (Table 5-1). In terms of total tyres in use, passenger vehicle

tyres account for 74 percent of all tyres, while light commercial tyres make up 16 percent of the total

market in tyres. The remainder of the tyre market consists of truck and bus, motorcycle, specialty and off

the road tyres. On a weight basis these proportions change, with passenger tyres contributing 42 percent,

truck and bus 24 percent, and off the road 14 percent of the total 1.235 million tonnes in use.

Passenger vehicles include cars (small, medium and large), people movers, and sports cars

Sports Utility Vehicles (compact, medium, large and luxury). Examples would be Range Rover and Toyota Landcruiser

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Table 5-1: Current Tyre in Use (000s)

Vehicle Type Registered

Vehicles

Tyre Numbers EPU

Motorcycles (excl dirt & quad bikes) 422 844 422

Passenger Vehicles

10,937 54,686 54,686

Light Commercial 2,030 12,182 24,363

Trucks & Buses

531 6,206 31,030

Speciality Tyres Not applicable 208 1,041

Off The Road Tyres Not applicable 184 18,456

Total 13,920 74,310 129,998

Source: ABS & URS Analysis

5.1.2 New Tyres Entering the Australian Market

The Australian manufacturers produce a range of tyres with approximately 85 percent for the passenger

vehicle market and the remaining 15 percent for light and heavy truck and bus market. Tyre

manufacturers within Australia do not produce motor cycle tyres or off the road tyres. Significant

quantities of tyres enter the market as imports both as loose tyres and as OEM tyres fitted to vehicles. The

total number of new tyre entering the Australian market is shown in Table 5-2 below.

Table 5-2: Total Tyres Entering the Market (Loose and OEM) (000s)

Vehicle Type Tyre Numbers EPU

Motorcycles (incl dirt & quad bikes) 815 408

Passenger vehicles 14,268 14,268

Light truck 4,213 8,427

Truck & bus 1,161 5,804

Specialty 43 213

Off the road vehicles 69 6,465

Total 20,569 35,585

Source: ABS & URS Analysis

This table presents an increase from the totals in the 2005 URS study, partly reflecting an increase in

vehicle numbers, partly due to the inclusion of all motorcycles (on road, dirt bikes and quad bikes) and

Includes Campervans

Includes rigid trucks, articulated trucks, non-freight carrying trucks and buses

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5-3

partly due to a level of uncertainty in drawing together this data. In regard to motorcycle data, new

information from the past two years indicates that only one third of total motorcycles are registered for

road use.

Data total shown in Table 5-2 are made up of:

• Tyres manufactured in Australia with deductions for loose tyres fitted as OEM to vehicles

manufactured in Australia;

• Imported loose tyres with deductions for imported loose tyres fitted as OEM to domestic vehicles

• Tyres fitted as OEM to vehicles manufactured in Australia; and

• Tyres fitted as OEM to imported vehicles.

Domestic Tyre Production

Information confirmed by ATMA indicates that domestic tyre production approximates between 7 to 7.5

million tyres (or 10 million EPUs) per annum (Personal Communication

). Domestic tyre production is

focused towards manufacturing passenger vehicles tyres. It is understood that approximately 30 percent

of these tyres are OEM with the remaining being loose replacement tyres as shown in Table 5-3. Some

vehicles manufactured in Australia are exported and data from 2001-02 indicated that this proportion was

approximately 30 percent.

Table 5-3: Domestic Loose Tyres Excluding Domestic OEM (000s)

Vehicle Type Tyre Numbers EPU

Motorcycles (incl dirt & quad bikes) 0 0

Passenger Vehicles 3,025 3,025

Truck & Bus

1,085 2,695

Specialty 0 0

Off the road vehicles 0 0

Total 4,110 5,720

Source: ABS & URS Analysis

Loose Tyre Imports

Table 5-4 provides an overview of loose imported tyres net of exported tyres.

Including Light trucks

SECTION 5

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Table 5-4: Loose Tyre Imports (000s)

Vehicle Type Tyre Numbers EPU

Motorcycles (incl dirt & quad bike tyres) 577 288

Passenger Vehicles 7,313 7,313

Truck & Bus

3,100 8,154

Specialty 43 214

Off the road vehicles 69 6,465

Total 11,102 22,434

Source: ABS & URS Analysis

The harmonised tariff item statistical classification ABS import data does not differentiate between light

commercial vehicle and truck/bus tyres, therefore the EPU equivalent numbers have been derived based

on the proportion of registered vehicles.

New Vehicle Sales and OEM Tyres

The total number of OEM tyres has been calculated from the total new vehicle sales data representing

both imported and locally manufactured vehicles (data provided by VFacts). Of all new vehicle sales

passenger vehicles accounted for 77 percent of all tyres, while light commercial tyres make up 17 percent

of the total market in tyres, in similar proportions to current tyres in use. As a proportion of the total of

new vehicle sales, imported new vehicles represented 72 percent of the market or 78 percent of incoming

OEM tyres. Table 5-5 details new vehicle sales and corresponding tyres with Table 5-6 segregating this

data into local and imported vehicles.

Table 5-5: New Vehicle Sales & Corresponding Tyres (000s)

Vehicle Type Quantity Tyre Numbers EPU

Motorcycles (incl dirt & quad bikes) 96 238 119

Passenger vehicles (including SUVs) 786 3,930 3,930

Light commercial vehicles 166 854 1,709

Trucks (all type) 29 329 1,645

Buses 1 5 29

Total 1078 5,356 7,432

Source: VFacts & URS Analysis

Including Light trucks

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Table 5-6: Locally Made & Imported New Vehicle Sales & Corresponding Tyres (000s)

Vehicle Type Quantity Tyre Numbers EPU

Local Import Local Import Local Import

Motorcycles (incl dirt & quad bikes) - 96 - 238 - 119

Passenger vehicles (including SUVs) 232 554 1,159 2,771 1,159 2,771

Light commercial vehicles 40 126 206 648 413 1,296

Trucks (all type) - 29 - 329 - 1,645

Buses - 1 - 5 - 29

Total motor vehicles 272 806 1,365 3,991 1,572 5,860

Source: VFacts & URS Analysis

Differences between Volumes of New and EoL Tyres

There is very little difference when comparing the volume of tyres (on a percentage basis) supplied to the

market to those presenting in the waste stream as shown in Table 5–7. Applying this to each of the three

supply chains would produce a similar result.

Table 5-7: Differences between Volumes of New and EoL Tyres (EPUs)

Vehicle Type Tyre Supplied to Market

(EPU %)

Tyre Presented to Waste

Stream (UEPU %)

Motorcycles (incl dirt & quad bikes) 1 1

Passenger vehicles 40 40

Light truck 24 23

Truck & bus 16 15

Specialty 1 1

Off the road vehicles 18 20

Total 100 100

Source: ABS & URS Analysis

5.1.3 The Three Specific Supply Chains

From the data presented above it can be seen that loose imported tyres denote the greatest quantity and

percentage of new tyres entering the Australian market. A total of 11.1 Million tyres (22.4 Million EPU)

representing 54 percent of the total tyre market (63 percent on an EPU basis). Locally produced loose

tyres, not including locally produced OEM tyres, accounted for 4.1 Million tyres (5.7 Million EPU)

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representing 20 percent of the total tyre market (16 percent on an EPU basis) reflecting the predominance

of passenger tyre manufacturing in Australia. OEM tyres on imported vehicles account for 19 percent of

total tyres (or 17 percent on an EPU basis). This percentage increases when domestic vehicle

manufacturing is added to make up a total of 26 percent and 21 percent respectively of OEM tyres.

The supply chains are summarised in Table 5-8 below and Figure 5-1 on the following page.

Table 5-8: Tyre Supply Chains (000s)

Supply Chain Tyre Categories Tyres # EPU # Tyres (%) EPU (%)

Supply Chain 1: Imported OEM tyres 3,992 5,860 19 17

Domestic OEM tyres 1,365 1,571 7 4

Supply Chain 2: Local loose tyres 4,110 5,720 20 16

Supply Chain 3: Imported loose tyres 11,102 22,434 54 63

Total 20,569 35,585

Source: URS Analysis

It is interesting to note which of the six tyre categories (Motorcycle; Passenger; Speciality tyres; Light

trucks; Truck/Bus; and ORT) are represented in each of the supply chains:

• Supply chain 1, imported OEM tyres included four categories (Motorcycle, Passenger, Light trucks

and Truck/Bus) and domestic OEM tyres included three categories (Passenger, Light trucks and

Truck/Bus);

• Supply chain 2, local loose tyres included three categories (Passenger, Light trucks and Truck/Bus);

and

• Supply chain 3, imported loose included all six categories.

A review of the data from 2003-04 reveals a similar proportional split between the tyre supply chains. In

the OEM market there has been a steady decline in sales of locally made vehicles from 31 percent to 28

percent in 2004-05 although the actual sale numbers have remained relatively constant.

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Figure 5-1: Tyre Supply Chains

Total

Locally

Manufactured

Loose Tyres

Total

Imported

Vehciles

Total

Imported

Loose

Tyres

4.1M Tyres

5.7M EPU

3 Tyre

Categories

4.0M Tyres

5.9M EPU

4 Tyre

Categories

11.1M Tyres

22.4M EPU

6 Tyre

Categories

OEM Tyres

Tyres per

Vehicle Type

(factor)

Total

Domestic

Vehicle

Manufacturing

SUPPLY

CHAIN 1

SUPPLY

CHAIN 2

SUPPLY

CHAIN 3

OEM Tyres

Tyres per

Vehicle Type

(factor)

1.4M Tyres

1.6M EPU

3 Tyre

Categories

Total New Tyres

in Market

20.6M Tyres

35.6M EPU

(6 Tyre Categories)

- Motorcycle

- Passenger

- Speciality tyres

- Light trucks

- Truck/Bus

- ORT

Second Hand

Tyres Loose and

on Vehicles (Not

included)

Tyres in the

Market (URS)

74.3M Tyres

130M EPU

Updated Data

Source: URS Analysis

5.2 Disposal Arrangements of Tyres from Vehicle Dealers

The section describes the nature of disposal arrangements of tyres from new vehicle dealers representing

vehicle manufactures that are members of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI). These

new vehicle dealers are generally well branded franchised operations with commercial ties to one or more

vehicle manufacturer. Disposal arrangements include OEM tyres as well as loose tyres, as replacements

for OEM tyres. A consultation process revealed that there are common trends in the way tyres are dealt

with at new vehicle dealerships despite many vehicle dealers being individually owned businesses. In

summary the majority of vehicle dealers send cars to specialised tyre dealers for tyre servicing with these

costs transferred to the customer along with a vehicle dealer margin. The general arrangements are shown

in Figure 5-2.

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5-8

Figure 5-2: Tyre Collection, Transport and End use/Disposal Flow Chart for Tyre Supply Chains

Tyre Changing

at Vehicle

Dealers

Disposed

Tyres

Supply Chain 1

OEM Tyres

5.4M Tyres

7.5M EPU

Tyre Collection

& Transport

Potential for

Storage/

Stockpiling

Decision

Point

Decisions based on:

Tyre condition

Tyre price paid

Transport

Distance

Other

Supply Chain 3

Imported

Loose Tyres

11.1M Tyres

22.4M EPU

Supply Chain 2

Domestic Loose

Tyres

4.1M Tyres

5.7M EPU

Tyre Changing

at Tyre

Dealers

Tyres in Market

74.3M Tyres

130M EPU

Tyre

Transformation

& Recycling

Disposal

(Landfill or

Illegal

Dumping)

Re-treating

Reuse

Export

Source: Industry Sources and URS Analysis

Most of the vehicle manufacturers contacted had “overall environmental policies” but none were specific

to end-of-life tyres. Most vehicle dealers work with tyre dealers who take responsibility for all tyre related

activities including used tyres disposal. In a number of cases vehicle dealers service tyres in-house and

have some form of relationship with a tyre dealer network for tyre supply and in some instances

collection of used tyres, or have used tyres collected by tyre collectors. This was confirmed by Sims

TyreCycle (Personal Communication

) stating that there is a growth in the market for collections from

vehicle dealers servicing tyres.

Whether vehicle dealers serviced tyres in-house or out-sourced tyre servicing a used tyre disposal fee

averaging $2 per EPU was incurred. The specific amount varied depending on state and region. This was

again confirmed by Sims TyreCycle (Personal Communication

) that disposal fees for tyre collections are

similar for vehicle dealers servicing tyres as with tyre dealers. In summary both car dealers and tyre

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5-9

dealers contracted by vehicle dealers make no distinction between OEM tyres and replacement tyres on

vehicles being servicing with the same disposal arrangements apply to all of them.

In general it was noted that tyres are covered under the tyre manufacturers warranty not the new vehicle

warranty and that tyre servicing was generally included under leasing arrangements. Details of the

consultation process are included in Appendix D.

5.3 Market Failures as Applied to the Tyre Supply Chains

Section 4 concluded that market failure may occur in the Australian used tyres markets in relation to:

• Externalities, where private costs and benefits are not aligned with social costs and benefits:

• Undeveloped markets and institutions;

• Information failures, and

• Public and collective goods.

The impacts of market failure appear to be the same across the three supply chains for the entry of new

tyres into the Australian market. However, there are some differences in the various tyre categories on the

basis of external costs arising from illegal disposal and the proportion of the various tyre categories in the

three tyre supply chains. Estimates in Section 3 (Table 3-2) suggest only 1 percent of truck tyres are

illegally dumped or stockpiled, whereas rates for passenger tyres are highest with 16 percent of them

illegally dumped followed closely by light truck tyres at 12 percent. Section 3 (Table 3-3) also provides

information on the share that each tyre category contributes to the total number of EPUs illegally dumped.

Passenger tyres are shown to contribute 67 percent of the total number of EPUs illegally dumped whereby

they account for 49 percent of total tyres entering the market (excluding OTR tyres). In terms of this

externality, passenger tyres contribute the greatest share.

Examining the proportion of passenger tyres to total tyres in each of the three tyre supply chains provides

an assessment of the likely contribution of passenger tyres to illegal dumping for each supply chain. For

all three supply chains the percentage of passenger tyres to total tyres (excluding OTRs) is 70 percent of

all tyres entering the market and 49 percent on an EPU basis. Supply chain 1 has a higher percentage of

passenger tyres (73 percent and 53 percent respectively), supply chain 2 has a similar profile (73 percent

and 53 percent respectively) with supply chain 3 having the lowest percentage of passenger tyres (66

percent and 46 percent respectively). This is presented in as shown in Table 5-9 and Figure 5-3 below.

SECTION 5

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5-10

Table 5-9: Passenger Tyres as Percentage of all New Tyres for the Three Supply Chains

Passenger Tyres/EPUs

As % of Supply Chains

Supply Chains Total

Tyres #

(000s)

Total

EPU #

(000s)

Tyres # EPU #

Supply Chain 1: OEM tyres 5,357 7,431 73 53

Supply Chain 2: Local loose tyres 4,110 5,720 74 53

Supply Chain 3: Imported loose tyres

NOTE #

11,033 15,969 66 46

Total for All Three Supply Chains

NOTE #

20,500 29,120 70 49

Supply Chain 3: Imported OTR

69 6,465 - -

Total with ORT Tyres 20,569 35,585 - -

Source: URS Analysis:

# Note: excludes OTR tyres

Figure 5-3: Passenger Tyres as Percentage of all New Tyres for the Three Supply Chains

73%

74%

66%

53%

46%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

Supply Chain 1:

Total OEM Tyres

Supply Chain 2:

Local Loose Tyres

Supply Chain 3:

Imported Loose Tyres

Tyres # (%)

EPU # (%)

70% off All Supply Chains

(on tyre numbers basis)

49% of All Supply Chains

(on EPU basis)

In terms of actual passenger tyre numbers supply chain 1 consists of 3,931,000 passenger tyres, supply

chain 2, 3,025,000 and supply chain 3 with the largest quantity of passenger tyres – 7,313,000 as

presented in Tables 5-3, 5-4 and 5-5.

Of the total number of tyres supplied to the market, tyres on new vehicles represent between 20 and 29

percent of end-of-life tyres (Table 5-9) with the remaining tyres being those on the existing vehicle fleet.

New passenger vehicle tyres (OEM tyres on vehicle manufacturers represented by FCAI) represent 28

percent of the number finally disposed of and consequently contribute 28 percent to the share of that

externality on the basis of the share of all tyres disposed.

SECTION 5

Tyre Supply Chains and Market Failure

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5-11

Table 5-10: New Vehicle OEM Tyres –Share of all Disposed Tyres (000s)

Share of OEM Tyres

as a Percent of All

Tyres Disposed

Share of Loose

Tyres as a Percent

of All

Tyres

Disposed

Tyre Category Total Tyres

Disposed *

% No. % No.

Motorcycles (incl dirt & quad

bike tyres)

815 29 236 71 579

Passenger Vehicles 13,643 28 3,820 72 9,823

Light Commercial Vehicles 3,961 20 792 80 3,169

Truck & Bus 1,050 29 305 71 746

Source: URS Analysis

* Tyre numbers from Table 3-2, columns 3 (motor cycles), 4 (passenger), 5 (light truck) and 6 (truck and

bus only.

SECTION 6

References

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6-1

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ca25712a007b7c11?OpenDocument

Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Tasmania (DPI TAS), 2002, Best Practice

Environmental Management of Waste Tyres: Storage, Transport, Reuse, Reprocessing and Disposal.

February 2002 [Online accessed 13 June 2006], URL:

http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/Attachments/CDAT-5X5V35?open

UK Environment Agency Report 1998, Tyres, Dr R J Pentreath, Chief Scientist and Director of

Environmental Strategy

URS 2005, Financial and Economic Analysis of the Proposed Used Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme,

Prepared for ATMA and ATIG, Publicly released by JWGT, December 2005

SECTION 7

Limitations

J:\JOBS\43177414\43177414 TYRES MARKET FAILURE\DELIVERABLES\MARKET FAILURE DRAFT REPORT 010606 - EINION + BRUCE.DOC\2-JUN-06

7-1

7 Limitations

URS Australia Pty Ltd (URS) has prepared this report in accordance with the usual care and thoroughness

of the consulting profession for the use of the Department of the Environment and Heritage and only

those third parties who have been authorised in writing by URS to rely on the report. It is based on

generally accepted practices and standards at the time it was prepared. No other warranty, expressed or

implied, is made as to the professional advice included in this report. It is prepared in accordance with the

scope of work and for the purpose outlined in the Proposal dated 28 April 2006.

The methodology adopted and sources of information used by URS are outlined in this report. URS has

made no independent verification of this information beyond the agreed scope of works and URS assumes

no responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions. No indications were found during our investigations

that information contained in this report as provided to URS was false.

This report was prepared between 15 May and 8 September 2006 and is based on the conditions

encountered and information reviewed at the time of preparation. URS disclaims responsibility for any

changes that may have occurred after this time.

This report should be read in full. No responsibility is accepted for use of any part of this report in any

other context or for any other purpose or by third parties. This report does not purport to give legal

advice. Legal advice can only be given by qualified legal practitioners.

Appendix A

Terms of Reference for this Study

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TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A STUDY INTO THE MARKET FAILURE ASPECTS

OF WASTE TYRE MANAGEMENT

1. OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study is to identify and analyse the extent of any market failures

applying to the management of end-of-life tyres in Australia (i.e. whether there has been

a failure of the market to efficiently allocate the resource value contained in end-of-life

tyres). In particular, investigating any market failures within and between the three major

supply chains for tyres entering the Australian market, which are:

a) tyres imported by consignment (tyre importers);

b) tyres imported on vehicles (vehicle importers); and

c) domestically manufactured tyres (tyre manufacturers).

2. BACKGROUND

In 2004, approximately 18 million tyres entered the Australian market and there were

approximately 72 million tyres in use in Australia. Approximately 18 million of these presented in

the waste stream as end-of-life tyres, representing 30 million Equivalent Passenger Units

(EPU), or approximately 270 thousand tonnes. In addition, it is estimated there are 20 million

EPU in existing stockpiles across Australia. Of the approximate 30 million EPU, approximately

17% went to an end market with the remaining tyres being disposed of to landfill, illegally

dumped or exported.

Illegal dumping of end-of-life tyres predominantly occurs in bushland, significantly reducing the

amenity and community use of those areas. In Australia, some illegal tyre dumps have caught

fire generating black smoke and noxious gases (such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,

benzene, styrene, phenols and butadiene), and consequential environmental and human health

risks. The collection of water in end-of-life tyres can provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes

and the associated human health risks.

Many of the issues identified above arise due to the identified failure of the market to efficiently

allocate the resource value contained in end-of-life tyres. To address this market failure, the

Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) is proposing a short term intervention in

the market that aims to create a market pull for tyre derived products, by providing a direct

financial incentive to tyre recyclers, and an indirect incentive to further develop existing, and

create new markets for tyre derived products.

The short term market intervention is also proposed on the basis that sustainable markets for

end-of-life tyre derived products will largely address the inefficient economic, environmental and

social outcomes of existing practices and that tyres are part of a national market and any

solution must also be national in scope.

Appendix A

Terms of Reference for this Study

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3. CONTEXT

The tyre industry and the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage

(DEH), on behalf of the EPHC, have been negotiating the development of national product

stewardship arrangements for end-of-life tyres. The negotiations have focused on the

establishment of a Tyres Product Stewardship Agreement, under which a national voluntary

tyres product stewardship scheme will operate. The voluntary scheme would be supported by

government regulation to ensure that participants in the voluntary scheme are not competitively

disadvantaged in the market place. The regulations would ensure that any tyre industry

companies that are not participants in the voluntary scheme would have to achieve equivalent

outcomes to those included in the agreement. The new regulations would be established as

sector specific Schedules under a new National Environmental Protection (Product

Stewardship) Measure.

Two economic modelling studies were conducted to facilitate negotiations, and the development

of the proposed arrangements to date. These studies have identified the market failure aspects

of end-of-life tyres management, including inefficient allocation of resources because of

imperfect information and externalities. However, questions remain over certain aspects of the

identified market failure. The purpose of this study is to examine in more detail the identified

market failure aspects, as well as investigating any market failure within and between the three

major supply chains for tyres entering the Australian market, which are, a) tyres imported by

consignment (tyre importers); b) tyres imported on vehicles (vehicle importers); and c)

domestically manufactured tyres (tyre manufacturers).

This study also relates to, and will feed into, the Regulation Impact Statement being developed

for the proposed tyres product stewardship agreement.

4. PROJECT SCOPE

Drawing on the significant body of work already completed (see Available Source

Material below), the consultant will undertake the necessary research into, and analysis

of, any market failures applying to the management of end-of-life tyres in Australia, in

particular investigating any environmental and human health externalities. This work

should focus on:

1. The precise nature of any tyre industry wide market failure;

2. The precise nature of any supply chain specific market failures associated with the three

major supply chains, which are:

a) tyres imported by consignment (tyre importers);

b) tyres imported on vehicles (vehicle importers); and

c) domestically manufactured tyres (tyre manufacturers); and

Appendix A

Terms of Reference for this Study

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3. The extent to which any market failure applies to a particular tyres supplier, and the extent

to which there is any variation of any market failure between suppliers. This work should

investigate the extent to which any market failures vary between the management of tyres

produced for original equipment manufacturers, such as vehicles (whether imported or

domestically manufactured) and tyres provided for after market use, i.e. replacing tyres that

entered the market on original equipment.

In identifying and analysing the precise nature of any supply chain specific market failures, the

consultant must assess all stages and aspects of the life cycle of the suppliers’ tyres. This

assessment must include, but does not need to be limited to the following:

• The volume of tyres (on a percentage basis) supplied to the market by each of the three

supply chains, and to the extent possible, the volume of tyres (on a percentage basis)

presenting in the waste stream from each of the three supply chains; and

• The current treatment of the tyres at end-of-life by suppliers of tyres.

The assessment of all stages and aspects of the life cycle of the tyre must include, but does not

need to be limited to the following:

• The impact on return/disposal practices of end-of-life tyres by the extent to which they are

covered under any warranty, particularly new vehicle warranty;

• The impact on return/disposal practices of any preferred service provider contracts,

particularly between vehicle manufacturers and tyre retailers;

• The impact on return/disposal practices of any contractual arrangements, particularly

between vehicle manufacturers and tyre recyclers or between tyre retailers and tyre

recyclers, or between vehicle manufacturers, tyre retailers and tyre recyclers; and if

possible

• The location of end-of-life tyres by supplier, including whether they are recycled, disposed

of to landfill, are exported or illegally dumped.

Appendix B

Legislation that Impacts the End-of-Life

Tyre Industry

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Item Jurisdiction Regulatory Requirement

ACT Allowed

NSW Allowed outside SMA/ERA. Whole tyres may not be disposed

within the SMA/ERA; license to dispose/process >5,000 tonnes

pa; tyres banned from burning at landfills (NSW EPA 1997)

NT Allowed; EPA approval required for tyre disposal operating on a

commercial or fee for service basis (NT Waste Management and

Pollution Control Act 2003)

QLD Allowed, whole tyre limit 10,000 EPU pa per new facility (QLD

EPA EcoAccess 2004a, p.1)

Shredded only ≤ 250mm (exception is large earthmoving tyres in

remote areas with no shredding facility); Waste Levy applies to all

tyres disposed of at landfills (SA EPA Guidelines 2003)

TAS Shredded only to approved sites

VIC Shredded only

Landfill disposal

WA In Tyre Landfill Exclusion Zone (TLEZ) as defined in the Used

Tyre Regulations: shredded only and need approval; other

conditions on separation of piles of waste tyres

ACT Approval required

NSW Allowed on case by case basis in consultation with local council

and EPA; license needed if recycle/process >5,000 tonnes pa of

rubber product/tyres (NSW EPA 1997)

NT Allowed but license required to recycle, treat or dispose tyres on a

commercial or fee for service basis (NT Waste Management and

Pollution Control Act 2003)

QLD Allowed but needs licence if >500 tyres

SA Approval required if >5 tonnes/year

TAS Allowed at present; approval may be required for large or atypical

projects

VIC Approved on case by case basis

Recycle / reuse

options

WA Permitted if <100 tyres, else needs approval

ACT -

NSW No disposal on site

NT Allowed to be buried on site in an environmentally suitable

manner – e.g. within wasterock piles

Mine sites

QLD May be buried on site subject to guidelines and becomes

notifiable activity

Appendix B

Legislation that Impacts the End-of-Life

Tyre Industry

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Item Jurisdiction Regulatory Requirement

SA Subject to general conditions

TAS -

VIC -

WA On site disposal allowed outside TLEZ subject to approval

National Transport of waste tyres interstate subject to National

Environment Protection (Movement of Controlled Waste between

States and Territories) Measure, and requires EPA approval in

the state or territory of destination (EPHC 2004b)

ACT -

NSW Licensed for loads > 2 tonnes

NT License required to collect and transport tyres on a commercial or

fee for service basis (NT Waste Management and Pollution

Control Act 2003)

QLD Licensed if >250kg/load (QLD EPA EcoAccess 2004b)

SA Licensed

TAS Only by approved transporter if tyres are to be disposed

VIC -

Transport

WA Tyres may only be transported to licensed storage site or

approved disposal site

ACT -

NSW Licensed if > 50 tonnes but must comply with NSW Fire Brigades

Storage Guidelines and (upcoming) EPA Environmental

Guidelines for Used Tyre Storage

NT License required to store tyres on a commercial or fee for service

basis (NT Waste Management and Pollution Control Act 2003)

QLD

Considered storage it tyres held ≤ 3 years; licensed if >500

tyres/year (whole or equivalent); must comply with Fire Services

requirements (QLD EPA EcoAccess 2004b)

SA If more than 500 waste tyres per annum need to be licensed by

EPA and comply with Metropolitan Fire Service Guidelines

TAS Requires an environmental assessment if >100 tonnes/year.

Governed by waste mgt regulations

VIC Draft guidelines on stacks: <5,000 tyres each

Storage

WA Licensed if >100 tyres/year, or >500 for a tyre fitting business

ACT - Receival Facility

NSW Licensed if processing >5,000 tonnes/year

Appendix B

Legislation that Impacts the End-of-Life

Tyre Industry

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Item Jurisdiction Regulatory Requirement

NT Will license in future under the Waste Management and Pollution

Control Act

QLD Licensed if >500 tyres/year

SA Licensed

TAS Require an environmental assessment if >100 tonnes/year

VIC Covered by general environmental protection regulation

WA -

ACT -

NSW Reporting under licence conditions; tracking scheme under IWRP

NT Will be required under licences issued under the Waste

Management and Pollution Control Act

QLD Tracking scheme proposed for 2001

SA Tracking scheme for whole tyres using docket system

TAS Tracking scheme proposed for mid 2001 using docket system

VIC -

Reporting

WA [WA operate a tracking sysytem for waste tyres as part of its

Controlled Wastes regulations. The system tracks tyre loads of 20

or more tyres and all transporters have to be licensed and the

pick-up and destination of the tyres recorded]

ACT -

NSW Tyre Industry Waste Reduction Plan (IWRP)

NT None at present

QLD Waste Tyre Strategy

SA Extended Producer Responsibility Waste Policy (SA EPA cited in

ARRB Transport Research 2004, p.23)

TAS Scrap Tyre Management System – voluntary levy by retailer

VIC -

Tyre Industry

Plans

WA Waste Tyre Strategy

Source: Atech Group 2001, Pt.1, p.13-14, URS 2005, p.15-17, and other sources as specified within table

Appendix C

Classifications for Tyre Derived Products

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Transformation

Categories

(TC)

Type Sizes

(mm)

Common

Industry

Sizes

(mm)

Mesh

(USA)

Mesh

(Europe)

Typical Use

TC1 Whole Tyres N/A N/A Energy/Civil

TC2 Cut Tyres (300

mm+)

300 mm + N/A N/A Energy/Civil

TC3 Tyre Chip (30 mm

– 299

mm)

30 mm

40 mm

50 mm

N/A

Energy/Civil

TC4 Granulate (1 mm –

29 mm)

8-15 mm

5-7 mm

1-4 mm

N/A

3-4 mesh

5-18 mesh

N/A

3-4 mesh

5-16 mesh

Civil/Equestrian

Limited Market

Soft Surfacing

Buffing 5 mm

2.5 mm

1.2 mm

4 mesh

12 mesh

16 mesh

4 mesh

10 mesh

14 mesh

Sub Floors

Soft Surfacing/Matting

TC5 Crumb

(Powder)

micron*

– 0.9

mm)

630 micron

425 micron

250 micron

180 micron

100 micron

40 micron

30 mesh

40 mesh

60 mesh

80 mesh

140 mesh

400 mesh

28 mesh

35 mesh

60 mesh

80mesh

150 mesh

400 mesh

Roads/Adhesives

General Rubber Mixing

Elastomers

Steel Steel

Textile Textile

* 1 mm is equal to 1,000 micron

Source: Industry Discussions 2005

Appendix D

Vehicle Manufactures & Dealers

Consultation

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Introduction

A meeting was held with FCAI on 10 May 2006 to discuss the acquisition of data and it was agreed that a

representative sample of vehicles manufactures would be targeted including Ford, GM Holden, Toyota,

BMW, Nissan, Mazda and Mercedes Benz. Subaru were later added to the list. The FACI provided

contact details for a number of manufacturers, company representatives and dealers for URS to contact. In

addition a number of companies were contacted independently. Phone interviews and emailed

information was gathered from the 22 May to the 20 June 2006 with some manufacturers/dealers

providing comprehensive information and others limited information. GM Holden declined to participate

in the process.

The main objective of the interview process was to determine the environmental policies of each

manufacturer in relation to tyres, their methods of tyre management and the procedures and costs relating

to their disposal. The questions and results from this process are provided below.

Questionnaire

The following questions were developed for use in the telephone interviews and email

• Does your organisation/dealership have an environmental policy on used tyres? If yes please provide

details.

• How many new vehicles are sold and serviced annually through your dealerships?

• Are tyres covered under new car warranties?

• Defective tyres on new vehicles. What happens to these and are they returned to the tyre company or

to the original country the vehicle was manufactured?

• What services do you offer in regard to tyre servicing as part of general vehicle servicing? Do you

send the vehicles to a tyre dealer or is it done in-house? Are there any specific arrangements with

tyre dealers?

• If you send your vehicles to a tyre dealer, is the cost of this a direct transfer to the customers

account?

• If you manage tyres in-house do you pay a tyre collector to pick up the used tyres?

• What is the collection cost per used tyre and does this vary in each state? Is this cost transferred to

the customer?

• Is there a specific tyre collector(s) you recommend your dealers go through?

Appendix D

Vehicle Manufactures & Dealers

Consultation

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• Do you service vehicles that are under leasing arrangements and if so are tyres covered in such

arrangements?

Ford Dealer Interviews

A random sample of Ford dealerships were contacted to participate in the survey. Of the various dealers

interviewed the number of cars sold ranged from 20 to 300 per month and those serviced ranged from 600

to 5,000 per month.

Ford has an overall environmental policy for all new vehicles sold, but nothing specific in relation to end-

of-life tyres. All dealers stated that tyres are covered under Ford’s new car warranty and any faulty tyres

returned to the tyre manufacturer via the tyre manufacturer’s Australian distributors.

There is a mix of onsite/offsite arrangements for tyre servicing depending on dealer preference. Those

that service tyres onsite using their own Ford-trained staff had arrangements with tyre collectors to

regularly pick up tyre stockpiles with these costs passed to customers. Dealers that used third party tyre

dealers transferred the entire cost of the tyre service and disposal to the customer. The environmental

costs for removal of tyres from onsite Ford-approved tyre changing service centres ranged from $1.50 to

$2 per passenger tyre, and from $2.50 upwards for a light truck.

Mazda

Mazda Australia has an over arching company wide environmental policy which includes an approved

Mazda tyre program allowing vehicle dealers to dispose of used tyres through their partnership with

Beaurepaires. In 2005 over 66,000 new Mazdas were sold and approximately 170,000 vehicles serviced

by the dealer network.

Tyres are not covered under Mazda new car warranties with the respective tyre supplier providing this

warranty. A similar arrangement applies for replacement tyres in that the local branches of the tyre

supplier cover this warranty.

Some dealers service tyres in-house under the scope of an approved Mazda tyre program and in

partnership with Beaurepaires. Other Mazda dealers sublet this work to tyre dealers, separately invoicing

the Mazda vehicle owner for this service.

Mazda does not have an in-house program for used tyre disposal as this is undertaken by Beaurepaires as

part of their partnership program. Beaurepaires will pick-up used tyre from the vehicle dealership and the

Mazda tyre program recommends the prices listed below. It is likely that these costs are transferred to the

Mazda owner/tyre purchaser.

Appendix D

Vehicle Manufactures & Dealers

Consultation

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Disposal Cost RRP

Car, Station Wagon & Utility $1.59 $2.73

Light Truck, Truck & 4WD $2.73 $5.45

Source: Mazda

In terms of leasing arrangements, some Mazda dealers provide a fully maintained service arrangement in

conjunction with a finance company and tyres are a part of this. Fleet business is only a small percentage

of Mazda sales.

Honda

Honda Australia sold over 48,000 new Honda cars in 2005. It does not have a specific environmental

policy on used tyres. Tyres are not covered under new car warranties, but covered under the tyre suppliers

warranty and if there is a defective tyre on a new car these are sent directly back to the tyre supplier in

Australia.

In or out-sourcing of tyre servicing at Honda dealerships is up to the discretion of the franchisee and is

managed solely within the dealership. Some chose to carry out the practice in house others use tyre

dealers. No further details were provided.

Subaru

Subaru Australia sold over 40,000 new Subaru cars in 2005. Their operations are covered by an

environmental policy which does not contain any specific matters relating to used tyres. No details were

provided on the number of annually services under warranty as some warranties can extend up to 10

years, with between 50-60 percent of new cars being serviced at the original dealership.

Tyres are not covered under new car warranties, but under a tyre manufacturer’s warranty. A single faulty

tyre is replaced by the vehicle dealer with notification to the manufacturer. If there is a series of multiple

defects then the tyres are sent back to the tyre supplier.

Only 5-10 percent of Subaru dealers service tyres in-house with the majority contracting this service out

to local tyre dealers. This arrangement is vehicle dealer specific and run solely out of each individual

business. Vehicle dealers are required to adhere to Subaru’s environmental policy relating to wastes

generated within service workshops and preferred service provider are listed to assist individual dealers in

managing these wastes. One example is the Transpacific Group (ERS). It is noted that on the Transpacific

Group’s web site(http://www.transpacific.com.au/TIG/services/index.asp) there is a comprehensive list of

automotive waste that are catered for including Tyre Recovery & Collection.

Off-site tyre service costs are transferred directly to the customer. However, used tyre collector’s costs are

not directly linked to the customer and are covered in an overarching $8-12.50 ‘environmental levy’

currently in place for the whole vehicle (which would include the levy on oil under the Product

Appendix D

Vehicle Manufactures & Dealers

Consultation

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Stewardship for Oil Scheme). The quantum of this levy varies from state-to-state and costs specific to

tyres are not itemised.

Subaru does service cars under leasing arrangements with tyres are covered in about 50-60 percent of

leasing arrangements and the tyre servicing arrangements depend on the leasing arrangements.

Mercedes-Benz

The majority of Mercedes-Benz dealers are individual franchisees and the arrangements for tyre servicing

is vehicle dealer specific. However, none of those contacted carried out their own tyre servicing.

Of the Mercedes-Benz dealers interviewed an average of 30 to 45 cars are serviced daily. Tyres are not

covered under new car warranties, but covered under the individual tyre manufacturer’s warranties. It was

noted that an extended tyre warranty can be purchased by a new car owner is required.

Vehicle dealers used tyre dealers to provide tyre servicing and all tyre dealer costs were passed on to the

car owner with an additional margin included. Generally the tyre dealer’s “environmental levy” of $2 per

tyre or $6.00 per car, although itemised on some the tyre dealer’s invoices, was generally not itemised on

the customer’s invoice.

If cars are leased then it is the responsibility of the leasing companies organise tyre servicing if this is

included in the leasing arrangements.

BMW

Of the BMW dealers contacted none carried out tyre servicing in-house and all used local tyre dealers.

Defective tyres under warranty were either sent back to BMW in Melbourne or to a local tyre dealer such

as Bob Jane or Bridgestone. It was noted that an “environmental levy” is charge by tyre dealers for used

tyre disposal and averaged $2 per tyre.

Toyota

Toyota has a partnership with Beaurepaires to carry out tyre servicing through local Beaurepaires

dealerships. Some Toyota dealerships undertake tyre servicing in-house.

The Toyota dealer network buys all their tyres from Beaurepaires and an “environmental levy” or a

collection fee is included in their national price of their tyres, in other words Beaureapires factor the tyre

collection and disposal costs into their “new tyre” pricing.

Appendix D

Vehicle Manufactures & Dealers

Consultation

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Nissan

It was reported that Nissan Australia does not have an overarching environmental policy for used tyres. It

sells around 60-65,000 new Nissan vehicles per year and the dealer network services approx. 200 -

220,000 Nissan vehicles per annum. Tyre servicing is done through local tyre dealers and not at the

vehicle dealer servicing the vehicle and the cost of this is a direct transfer to the customer. Tyres are

covered under warrantee but through the tyre manufacturers and handled through their own agents.

Leased vehicles are serviced by the vehicle dealer, however, tyres handled in the same way as vehicles

being serviced.