Tyre Recovery Association welcomes government action to scrap T8 waste exemptions

The Tyre Recovery Association has “strongly welcomed” the publication of guidance detailing the abolition of the T8 exemption for end-of-life wates tyres (ELTs). Peter Taylor OBE, secretary general of the TRA, said: “We are delighted that the measure necessary to remove the T8 exemption is now before parliament.  After the years of campaigning for this change, it is almost hard to believe that it is now a real prospect!” Per the article published by Tyrepress yesterday, the guidance is subject to a formal Parliamentary process and approval, with new regulations coming into force on 6 January 2027. Existing exemption holders must operate under standard rules or a bespoke environmental permit by the end of the short transition period on 6 April 2027.

The TRA has consistently characterised the T8 exemption for the mechanical treatment of end-of-life tyres as “destructive” and has led broad tyre industry campaigning for its formal withdrawal for eight years. The association said the transition to a new regulatory regime would “close a loophole… that has long been exploited by unaccredited, rogue operators.”

The TRA said the continued existence of the T8 exemption has “undercut legitimate, environmentally compliant British reprocessors and facilitated widespread waste crime. Scrapping the exemption is a vital step forward down the path of reform which the TRA is campaigning for.”

Taylor added: “Industry must now prepare for the change and the timeline set out for that is sensible. As we celebrate this moment, we also know that ending of the ill-judged and destructive T8 regime will still not solve all our problems, but it as an essential first step in improving market dynamics and building investor confidence.

“We can now look forward with a measure of optimism. We will work closely with the Environment Agency during the transition period to support those operators who will want to apply for a full waste environmental permit. This must be done well before the 6 April 2027 deadline to ensure they can legally continue their operations.

“The TRA will continue to champion the UK’s waste tyre industry as not only an essential enabler of the circular economy but as a resource for renewed domestic industrial activity. The vital next step for that is a shred-only export regime, but today we can celebrate progress.”