Almost 45 percent of used tyres were recycled into granulate, such as crumbed rubber which can go on to form products commonly seen in playgrounds and running tracks, while 42 percent were recovered as fuel, such as that used in cement kilns abroad as a replacement for fossil fuels. The remaining 13 percent included various uses, such as anchors for silage pit covers.
In its Annual Report 2013, TRACS says that almost 3m tyres were imported into Ireland in 2012, mostly for passenger cars. Companies affiliated with TRACS were responsible for 75 percent of these imports, while the TRACS scheme was associated with 90 percent of waste tyres treated either in Ireland or abroad.
TRACS is a voluntary compliance scheme for tyre industry operators to monitor the movement of tyres within the industry and promote legitimate reuse and recycling of waste tyres. By joining TRACS, tyre industry operators, suppliers, and waste collectors will fulfill their obligations under the Regulations. The scheme was set up in 2008.
