October 7, 2015
The State Government is investigating a way to stop old tyres from clogging up landfills.
“The disposal of used tyres is a national problem but Queensland has the opportunity to be the leader in this recycling strategy,” Main Roads Mark Bailey said.
He said the government was partnering with Tyre Stewardship Australia to develop and trial specifications for the use of crumbed rubber in road asphalt.
“The Stage 1 research found that crumbed rubber in spray seals can lead to improved road performance, now we want to see if this is also true for asphalt,” Mr Bailey said.
“We are about to enter the second year of a four-year study into tyre recycling, but road asphalt applications have already proven successful in Queensland trials.”
Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles said than 51 million tyres reached the end of their working lives in Australia every year but only 16 per cent of these were recycled. Most end up in stockpiles or dumped in landfill.
The State Government is also considering banning tyres, along with timber, green waste and concrete, from disposal at landfills in a bid to boost recycling rates and market opportunities for these materials.
Dr Miles said while householders would still be allowed to take these items to the tip, alternatives to putting them in landfill would have to be offered.
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Editorial note: A report prepared by consultants into the costs of a possible landfill disposal ban can be downloaded from the State Government’s website; in a footnote, it concedes costs for at least one of the proposed measures would have to be passed on by councils to ratepayers.
- Download Landfill Disposal Bans Report (965kb PDF)
