Most drivers give little thought to what happens to their old tyres once they are replaced, but a growing crisis linked to Britain’s waste is unfolding thousands of miles away.

A major investigation, led by BBC’s ‘File on 4 Investigates’, has uncovered the fact that millions of used tyres from the UK are being illegally exported to India.

Here, instead of environmentally friendly recycling, they are burned in makeshift furnaces, posing serious environmental and public health risks.

Round and round

Each year, Britain produces around 50 million waste tyres — nearly 700,000 tonnes — which need to be recycled appropriately.

In theory, authorised recycling centres in the UK sort, granulate, shred, or repurpose them into materials such as rubber crumb, used in sports pitches, equestrian centres, playground surfaces, and rubberised roads.

However, with limited domestic demand for these products, vast quantities are exported.

The BBC and SourceMaterial investigation has revealed that around half of the UK’s waste tyres are compressed into bales and shipped to India.

Shockingly, more than 70% of these — over 17 million tyres — are subjected to a dangerous process called pyrolysis.

Messy work

Pyrolysis involves heating tyres to around 500°C in an oxygen-free environment, extracting small quantities of oil, steel, and “carbon black” — a powder used in tyres, ink, and industrial products.

However, when performed in unregulated facilities, it also releases toxic gases and chemicals, which directly affect local neighbourhoods and communities.

Air quality is dangerous, local land and water levels are directly compromised, whilst safety standards are all but non-existent for workers and neighbourhoods around facilities.

India has approximately 2,000 pyrolysis plants, but only half are legally permitted.

Moreover, importing tyres into India for pyrolysis has been illegal since July 2022, yet the practice persists.

Poisoning people and places

BBC reporters visiting Wada, near Mumbai, documented clusters of illegal plants, blackened vegetation, polluted waterways, and local villagers suffering from chronic coughs and eye irritation.

The illegal plants, lacking proper emission controls, contribute significantly to air and soil pollution.

In the UK, drivers pay between £3 and £6 per tyre for responsible recycling.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) insists strict controls are in place, with penalties including unlimited fines and jail time for breaches.

However, insiders admit the illegal export of tyres is an open secret.

Elliot Mason, owner of Rubber World, a major UK tyre recycling company, told investigators: “I don’t imagine there’s anybody in the industry that doesn’t know it’s happening.”

Simple swindle

Smaller companies exploit a “T8 exemption” loophole, legally allowing up to 40 tonnes of tyre exports weekly.

Yet many exceed these limits, incentivised by the higher profits from illegal exports compared to costly domestic recycling.

Alexander Guslisty, CEO of UK-based recycling firm Big Atom, argues that properly regulated pyrolysis could be part of a sustainable solution.

When operated responsibly, pyrolysis can produce high-value recycled materials, helping tyre manufacturers meet sustainability targets.

However, Guslisty points out that the UK’s fragmented waste system, with thousands of independent garages handling tyre disposal, makes responsible recycling difficult.

“The government must end T8 exemptions, which facilitate illegal operations and prevent legitimate recycling plants from receiving enough tyres,” Guslisty said.

He added that Britain still has about 150,000 tonnes of underutilised recycling capacity.

Big Atom has introduced a recycling voucher system, allowing tyre manufacturers and wholesalers to fund responsible recycling directly, bypassing the garage network and ensuring better control.

Rubbish responsibility

Meanwhile, tyre manufacturers are under growing pressure.

The British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (BTMA) insists manufacturers are committed to solutions that enhance domestic recycling and called for urgent government reforms, including ending exemptions and enforcing stricter traceability.

The UK government says it is reviewing waste management priorities as part of a wider transition to a circular economy.

The Environment Agency added that it is collaborating with Indian authorities to improve compliance, noting that offenders can face up to two years in jail.

For now, drivers concerned about the fate of their old tyres are advised to ask garages about their recycling partners and whether they use Environment Agency-permitted firms.

Without urgent action, millions of Britain’s discarded tyres will continue fueling environmental harm abroad — a hidden cost of motoring few ever see.