Once again the most headline-grabbing news was on the subject of retail fly-tipping.

Large tyre retail operations are paying for the disposal of 10%-15% more tyres than they sell, according to the latest information. Group Tyre commercial operations director, Karl Naylor, detailed some of the findings of the Tyre Industry Federation (TIF) fly-tipping panel he has recently been working with. 12 months after Kwik-Fit spoke of how tyres dumped on its premises cost £250,000 it appears that the problems the costs the wider retail industry approximately £2 million each year. And what’s more, the problem appears to be a growing concern.

The TIF panel asked the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for the fly-tipping statistics of 404 local authorities. The results show that the total number of fly-tipping incidents is basically doubling each year. According to Karl Naylor, this means that the amount the industry spends out on trying to clean up could also double each year. While these numbers are based on official total fly-tipping figures, the government does not agree that tyre-tipping is growing quite this quickly.

Andrew McIntosh, senior policy advisor at DEFRA’s fly-tipping policy unit said the year-on-year increase was about an eighth. According to his calculations, in 2005/06 28,456 incidents of tyre tipping were reported. By 2006/07 this figure had risen to 31,990, an increase of 12.4%.

Either way, when you consider that £2 million is not an insignificant figure to begin with, it is no surprise that the powers that be are making renewed efforts to curb the problem. The financial cost aside, Karl Naylor (representing the TIF) questioned what damage tyre-tipping in general is doing the trade’s reputation – especially now customers are paying an environmental disposal charge every time they buy a new set of tyres.

In his seminar, Jonathan Cobb, group marketing director ATS Euromaster Ltd (ATSE), suggested that now is a good time to improve the fluidity of relationships on all levels of the end-of-life tyre supply chain. In his words, because retailers act as a channel to market, they have a unique opportunity to inform the public about what happens to their tyres after they are removed from the vehicle. He suggested that doing this correctly could inspire participation (perhaps reducing fly-tipping) and increase the intrinsic value of the end-of life product – something that is good for everyone involved.

To illustrate his point Cobb used the example of other aftermarket components like batteries, exhausts and catalytic converters that are removed at ATSE branches up and down the country. Cobb pointed to the success achieved with catalytic converters as being the clearest example of success in this respect. End-of life Cats have gone from being scrap to a security problem – if you leave them alone for too long someone might “lift” them.

WRAP promotes retreads to Van Fleets

WRAP project manager, Steve Waite summed up the Waste & Resources Action Programme’s achievements to date – including details of 2004 – 2009 forecast and a long-term forecast. However, the most prominent current news is that WRAP is embarking on a marketing campaign urging business and fleet managers to use retreads. The campaign is focusing on promoting the use of retreads on Light commercial Vehicles. Argos and Tesco have been named among the well-known companies that have already switched to using retreads. WRAP reports that it is contacting other fleet managers to promote their use.

In an official statement on the subject, Jacks Guinness, marketing project manager at WRAP, said: "The use of retread tyres on Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) is already well established in the UK, but WRAP has identified a significant opportunity for encouraging their increased specification by those with responsibility for fleets of LCVs. By highlighting benefits of retreads and tackling misconceptions attached to their use, we can bring the opinions of key decision-makers up to date and persuade them to look at retreads in a new way." David Wilson, director of the Retread Manufacturer’s Association added: "Retreads are a safe, reliable and green solution, as well as being good value for money. I’m sure they will be seen as an excellent option for decision-makers once they become aware of their performance and benefits." (Tyres & Accessories/Staffordshire, U.K.)