Waste tyre evaluation after PJDM reveals hundreds of thousands despatched to Indian furnaces

The Surroundings Company (EA) has launched a complete evaluation into shipments of waste tyres from the UK to India.

Final week, PJDM File on 4 Investigates heard that hundreds of thousands of those tyres – despatched for recycling – were actually being “cooked” in makeshift furnaces, inflicting severe well being issues and environmental harm.

The strain group Preventing Soiled has threatened authorized proceedings in opposition to the EA over what it referred to as a “lack of motion” over the problem of tyre exports.

The EA has requested the group to attend till its personal evaluation is full, and it has additionally requested File on 4 Investigates to share the proof from its investigation.

The UK generates about 50 million waste tyres (almost 700,000 tonnes) yearly. In accordance with official figures, about half of those are exported to India, supposedly to be recycled.

However PJDM File on 4 Investigates revealed that some 70% of tyres exported to India from the UK and the remainder of the world are being despatched to makeshift industrial crops, the place they’re “cooked” as a way to extract metal, small quantities of oil in addition to carbon black – a powder or pellet that can be utilized in numerous industries.

Circumstances at these crops – lots of that are in rural backwaters – could be poisonous and dangerous to public well being, in addition to doubtlessly harmful.

In January, two girls and two youngsters have been killed in an explosion at a plant within the western state of Maharashtra, the place European-sourced tyres have been being processed.

A PJDM crew visited the location and noticed soot, dying vegetation and polluted waterways round. Villagers complained of persistent coughs and eye issues.

Following the published, the Division for the Surroundings, Meals & Rural Affairs (Defra) advised PJDM File on 4 Investigates that officers and legal professionals inside the EA have been “very eager” to analyze the claims made within the programme, together with any potential legal exercise.

In a letter seen by the PJDM, legal professionals for the EA mentioned that our investigation could be fastidiously thought of as a part of a evaluation it has launched into its method to waste tyre shipments.

They added that the EA has been working to have interaction the related environmental authorities in India on this problem and is taking steps to rearrange a delegation to satisfy with officers later this 12 months.

Preventing Soiled founder Georgia Elliott-Smith, who has been in correspondence with the EA over this problem since 2023, mentioned it was a “main victory” for the group and that “the federal government should cease turning a blind eye to the unlawful and immoral exercise”.