Australia was increasingly being described as a destination for low-cost, poor-quality tyres as overseas regulations—particularly in Europe—tightened, according to industry experts and regulators (TSA). Concerns centred on safety, environmental impact and the downstream consequences for tyre waste management.

Experts reported that budget tyres, often imported already fitted to new vehicles or sold as low-cost replacements, tended to wear out significantly faster than higher-quality alternatives. While cheaper at the point of sale, they were said to cost motorists more over time due to more frequent replacement. Faster wear also meant greater release of tyre particles into the environment, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—chemicals of concern that are carcinogenic and harmful to ecosystems.

Several tyre brands were cited by industry insiders as examples of products raising concerns, although manufacturers maintained that all tyres sold locally complied with Australian regulations. The issue, experts argued, was not legality but adequacy of standards.

According to Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA), Australia lacked comprehensive mechanisms to assess tyre quality, durability and environmental performance. While Australian Design Rules (ADRs) governed factors such as size, load and fitment, they did not include minimum durability, wet-grip performance over a tyre's life, or limits on hazardous substances such as PAHs. Tyres imported separately from vehicles were particularly difficult to monitor, creating regulatory gaps.

In contrast, the European Union had moved toward stricter oversight. By mid-2024, EU regulations required tyres to maintain wet-grip performance even at the legal tread limit of 1.6 mm, alongside mandatory consumer labelling for efficiency, noise and safety. Further measures under the Euro 7 framework, scheduled to take effect in late 2026, were set to introduce durability and particulate emission limits for tyres for the first time.

Industry specialists warned that as Europe restricted access for lower-performing tyres, manufacturers sought alternative markets, with Australia emerging as one such outlet. Without updated standards aligned to global developments, experts cautioned that Australia risked importing large volumes of tyres with shorter service lives and higher environmental footprints.

The implications extended beyond road safety. TSA estimated that around 16 per cent of a tyre's weight was lost to wear during use, equating to roughly 100,000 tonnes of tyre rubber released into the Australian environment each year. Faster-wearing tyres intensified this effect and accelerated the flow of tyres into the end-of-life stream.

Australia generated more than 67 million end-of-life tyres annually, with significant proportions unaccounted for in several states. Illegally dumped tyres posed fire, health and environmental risks, while cleanup costs for councils reached $6.5 million in 2022-2023. Stockpiles and dumping incidents were reported across multiple states, compounding pressure on waste and recycling systems.

Although Australia had introduced a ban on exporting unprocessed waste tyres in 2021, requiring shredding before export, industry groups argued that upstream measures—particularly stronger import standards and mandatory product stewardship—were needed to address the problem at its source.

Stakeholders from across the automotive, recycling and environmental sectors called for Australia to modernise tyre standards, strengthen stewardship requirements and better align with international best practice. They argued that improving tyre quality would not only enhance safety and reduce environmental harm, but also slow the growth of end-of-life tyre volumes and ease the burden on local governments and recycling infrastructure.

To learn more about the issue, read the fill article by Drive.