Tyre recycling facility opens in Auckland

New Zealand Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage has opened Waste Management NZ’s new tyre recycling facility in Wiri, Auckland. The company described its facility as a significant step forward in managing the environmental problem of end-of-life tyres, addressing the 60,000 tonnes of tyre waste generated in New Zealand every year.

The facility received $3.85 million in support from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund, enabling Waste Management to invest in innovative new tyre processing equipment from the United States and expand the processing capacity of the facility by 250%. This means it will be able to process 15,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres in the first 24 months and reach full capacity of 30,000 tonnes, or around 3 million passenger tyres, per annum after 36 months.

The end result is that the tyres are shredded and supplied for re-use in manufacturing as tyre-derived fuel (TDF). Tyres have a very high calorific value that provides a beneficial source of fuel for a range of purposes, including powering cement kilns and power plants.

“End-of-life tyres are a serious waste challenge and I welcome this initiative,” Sage said. “I have also asked officials to look at the best way to develop and implement a mandatory product stewardship scheme for tyres. It’s time to plan how to deal with old tyres before they’re even fitted on the vehicle.”

Waste Management Managing Director Tom Nickels said he was delighted that Sage could attend the opening and celebrate this positive step forward for tyre recycling in New Zealand.

“The government’s support, coupled with our own investment, has created a local solution for the re-use of end-of-life tyres, and we are pleased to be turning waste into energy through the creation and supply of tyre-derived fuel,” Nickels said.

“As this country’s largest waste and environmental services company, we appreciate the important role we can play in maximising the value of waste streams. Now this includes waste tyres.”

Waste Management plans to open another tyre recycling facility in the South Island in late 2019.