Call for urgent action on end-of-life tyre waste criteria

The European Commission is being urged to develop end-of-waste (EoW) criteria for rubber derived from end-of-life tyres (ELTs) to facilitate cross-border trade in the EU and increase the use of recycled materials in manufacturing.

The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (Etrma) and EuRIC, the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation, made the call after issuing a joint paper, ‘Harmonised End-of-Waste criteria: a key step to strengthening Europe’s tyre recycling market.’

EuRIC and ETRMA believe a lack of harmonised criteria creates legal and administrative barriers across Member States, undermining market confidence and limiting recycled materials uptake.

Progress stalled

They argue that, despite being identified by the Joint Research Centre in 2021 as a top candidate for EoW criteria, progress on tyres has stalled. The establishment of harmonised EoW rules would clarify when ELT-derived rubber is no longer considered waste, ensuring compliance with product legislation, improving quality assurance, and enabling circular procurement at scale.

‘Technical conditions for ELT rubber to cease being waste are well defined,’ says EuRIC secretary general Julia Ettinger. ‘What’s missing is legal certainty. EU-wide EoW criteria are essential to unlock intra-EU trade, investment, and circular use of recycled rubber.’ 

Demand boost

Adam McCarthy,secretary general of Etrma insists standardised EoW criteria will boost demand for high-quality secondary raw materials and reduce dependence on virgin resources. ‘These standards will support the uptake of recycled inputs in tyre manufacturing, thus supporting the objectives of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.’

The tyre value chain says it is aligned and ready to support the Commission in defining workable, enforceable EoW rules under the Waste Framework Directive to safeguard valuable resources and ensure the development of a well-functioning internal market for recycled materials in the EU.