Export to Less Developed Countries

In most developed countries, the export of waste to less developed countries (LDC's) is banned. Everybody agrees that it is not ethically correct to export a waste problem from a rich to a poor country. There is, however, a large grey area where a scrap tyre is not worn down completely and therefore can be used a little longer. In this case, export to LDC’s is justified by the fact that the tyre is not waste but an item that can still be used.

Large European countries like Germany, Italy, UK and France are exporting many of these so-called part-worn tyres to LDC’s all over the world. The results are two large problems: an unproportional part of the waste problem is left in the LDC as they import a tyre with a very short lifetime but gets the full waste problem and very often the technology is not present in the LDC in order to recycle the proper way. This means that the waste tyres are dropped in landfills where there is a high risk of e.g. mosquito breeding spreading dangerous diseases like malaria. Another large problem is traffic accidents as the tyres often are used much longer than originally prescribed by the tyre manufacturer.

The Genan stance on this issue is very clear: Stop international movements over long distances of scrap tyres, no matter the purpose of the export. Recycling must be done locally or on a regional level.

Brazil has opened this discussion within the Basel Convention framework and is currently leading the work in order to make guidelines for the environmentally sound management of used tyres. The Basel Convention works with international movements of waste and you can see the current status of this work by using the links to the right.

Genan has a seat on the working committee and you can read Genan’s comments in download centre.