Chemical Technology June 2015

REDISA – the recycling of waste tyres in South Africa – an overview

The recycling of used tyres in South Africa was for many years a noble outcome with many promoters and detractors until the Government finally approved the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA) [1], in July 2012.

Why does SA need a waste tyre management plan?

to recycler. Using existing technology, especially mobile phones, it has created a virtual logistics fleet. An investment of R50 million in research and develop- ment has been made to help stimulate the market for waste tyres and their components. New processes and technolo- gies for reclaiming chemicals from tyres are being investi- gated at an unprecedented level. There is a REDISA Centre for Rubber Science and Technology at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, fuelling research and providing a hub for the new recycling technologies. These will create more jobs as the market expands. REDISA has a web site for subscribers (www.rfiling.co.za) who are interested in the operations of tyre recycling. Benefits and advantages of REDISA for importers, manufacturers and OEMs • Collects the waste tyres at no extra charge. • Has the responsibility of removing and dealing with the waste tyres. • Improves the environmental and corporate carbon footprint. • Focus on your core business.

In South Africa, it is estimated that we have millions of waste tyres lying in dumps and stockpiles or scattered across the country in residential, industrial and rural areas. Almost 10 million waste tyres are added to this number every year. While some of these waste tyres make their way to recycling facilities via formal and informal networks of collectors, many of them are burned for their scrap metal content, releasing toxic fumes and liquids in the process. Some are re-grooved to be sold as so-called ‘retreaded’ tyres. TheWasteManagement Act, in Section 28(1), addressed this problem and envisioned the creation of “an industry waste management plan”, hence the creation of REDISA. The concept of protecting the environment by taking care of manufactured goods from cradle to grave as encom- passed in ISO 14001, if not practised, could leave nothing of value on this earth to future generations. Creating op- portunities for employment was made possible by placing a monetary value on waste tyres. IT support structures have been installed in the country as a resource to the new business owners to manage the flow of tyres from dealer

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Chemical Technology • June 2015