Rubber Recycling Revisited

Everyone who retails tires in Ontario has heard the complaints. “Disposal Fee? Why do I have to pay a disposal fee?” With its launch on September 1st, the new Ontario Tire Stewardship Program will make the tire recycling process invisible at the consumer level and easier for the retailer.

How it works

The OTS program funds collection, recycling and research by fees paid by “Stewards” at the tire importer/manufacturer side of the supply chain. A “Steward” is a manufacturer, importer or brand owner who sells tires to you, the tire retailer or “Collector.” The other participants in the program are scrap tire haulers as well as scrap tire processors and recycled rubber product manufacturers, the companies that will recycle the tire rubber into useful products. The production of rubber crumb and its use as a raw material are key to the program by creating the demand for scrap tires and driving the collection effort. Excess scrap tire inventory during the ramp-up of manufacturing capacity will be exported out of the province by OTS-approved haulers and in the first year of the program, OTS will award supply contracts for about half the anticipated surplus. By kick-starting the collection process ahead of manufacturing demand, the system can get up to speed quickly and begin to reduce scrap tire dump tonnage immediately.

Registration with the OTS at program start-up includes over 360 Stewards, 1,500 Collectors, 97 Haulers and 20 Processors. From the retailer perspective, the industry will fund a program to remove and recycle your scrap tires without additional consumer charges or paperwork. The program will handle all tires with the exception of aircraft, toy and personal mobility (i. e. scooter or wheelchair) tires.

The OTS program has ambitious goals for scrap tire management:

• $23 million in investment in year one of the program.

• A scrap tire tracking system to follow tires from “cradle to grave” eliminating illegal dumping.

• A promotion and education program for consumers describing no charge recycling drop-off locations.

• Funding for research and development into new tire-derived products.

Where retailers fit

As a tire retailer, you are a “Collector” under the program. OTS registered collectors of used tires are obligated to:

• Report the type and number of tires collected.

• Collect used tire drop-offs of their agreed tire types and up to four tires per individual with no purchase required.

• Store tires according to standard environmental and safety regulations.

• Use an OTS-registered hauler.

• Keep a record of the number of tires shipped and the hauler who handled them.

• Wait until 50 tires are accumulated (75 in Northern Ontario) before calling for a pick up. This number is negotiable between retailer and hauler.

• No charge to receive a used tire from an Ontario resident.

Why participate? Besides the free pick up of scrap tires, collectors receive 88 cents per passenger/LT tire ($3.05 per medium truck and OTR tire) in the first year of the program. Retailers also receive POS materials for customers and a listing on the OTS Web site. While the program will streamline the tire disposal process for consumers and retailers alike, OTS also can assist in planning a “Tire Amnesty” event at your business. The idea is to get scrap tires out of consumer garages and backyards and combined with your regular promotional program, can drive traffic to your business.

SSGM

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For more information including

registration instructions, visit www.ontarioTS.caor

e-mail Collector@ontarioTS.ca.