The Australian Tyre Recyclers Association (ATRA) has commissioned a report examining how off-the-road mining tires are regulated across Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. The report, prepared by Urban EP, found that recovery rates for mining tires remain very low despite investment in tire recycling infrastructure capable of processing large OTR tires. According to ATRA, about 2% of mining tires are currently recovered, while most are still disposed of on site through in-pit burial. The association said the findings point to a gap between existing mining approval systems and circular economy objectives, with current regulatory settings continuing to allow low-cost disposal even where recycling and material recovery options are available.

Report reviews mining tire rules in three states

The report, titled Review of Regulatory and Licence Requirements for the Management of Waste Mining Tyres in Western Australia, New South Wales & Queensland, assessed how waste mining tires are managed under current regulatory and licensing frameworks. It focused on major Australian mining states where large OTR tires are widely used and where end-of-life management can be complex because of tire size, remote mine locations and established on-site disposal practices.

ATRA says disposal remains the default option

ATRA Executive Officer Robert Kelman said the report shows that current frameworks continue to favor disposal over recovery, even when viable tire recycling options exist. He said Australian recyclers, including ATRA members, have invested in specialized infrastructure for large OTR mining tires with support from government, but that this capacity remains significantly underused because regulations still allow low-cost on-site disposal to remain the default pathway.

Licences focus on local risk rather than recovery

Across Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland, the report found that regulatory frameworks tend to prioritize site-based environmental risk management rather than resource recovery outcomes. It also found that waste hierarchy principles are weakly applied in practice, licence conditions rarely require or incentivize recycling, and regulators have limited ability to mandate alternatives when disposal is considered acceptable.

ATRA said mining approvals and environmental licences often focus on controlling local environmental impacts but do not consistently require operators to assess or adopt recycling pathways for end-of-life mining tires.

Recyclers have capacity for OTR tire processing

The report noted that Australian recyclers have capacity to process large mining tires into materials for domestic and international markets. Potential applications include civil construction, manufacturing and emerging tire-to-tire recycling supply chains.

Depending on technology and market demand, OTR mining tires can support several material recovery routes, including rubber recycling, crumb rubber production, tire-derived aggregate, recovered materials for construction and feedstock for other advanced recycling applications.

Report identifies pathway for reform

The report outlines several reform options, including stronger requirements for mining tire management in approvals and licences, clearer application of the waste hierarchy in mining operations, and updated regulations, policies and guidance that reflect current recycling capability.

It also recommends that mining operations be required to thoroughly assess recycling options before choosing disposal. ATRA said such changes would help align mining tire management with circular economy goals and support better use of existing recycling infrastructure.

ATRA seeks cooperation with government and industry

Kelman said there is an opportunity to modernize regulatory settings so they reflect the capabilities of Australia’s tire recycling sector and the expectations of a circular economy. He said reforms could help shift the system from one that passively enables disposal toward one that actively supports recovery.

ATRA said stronger recovery rules could help unlock existing investment, reduce long-term environmental liabilities and create new economic value from end-of-life mining tires. The association is engaging with governments, regulators and industry stakeholders to progress practical reforms for improved mining tire recovery.

Article source: Waste Management Review.