Central Otago residents will be able to dispose of their used tyres through an established nation-wide stewardship scheme at any of the Council’s four transfer stations (Alexandra, Cromwell, Ranfurly and Roxburgh) from 1 September 2024.
The Central Otago District Council (CODC) has joined New Zealand’s first stewardship scheme Tyrewise, which became operational at the end of 2023, after many years of research and development. The purpose of the scheme puts the responsibility on tyre importers, manufacturers and retailers to make provision for the products they make and sell, and then to manage tyres when they reach the end of their useful life, to ensure they do not end up in landfills or be illegally dumped/stockpiled, causing environmental harm.
Tyrewise estimates that 6.5 million tyres are used in New Zealand each year and only 40% of these are recycled or repurposed. This means that 60% of tyres are stockpiled, dumped or disposed of to landfill.
Tyrewise introduced a tyre stewardship fee on all tyres sold or fitted in New Zealand from 1 March 2024. This fee covers the cost of processing tyres once they have reached the end of their useful life.
The scheme encourages consumers to leave their end-of-life tyres with the organisation that fitted them or where they were purchased. Tyre drop-off will also be available at the Council’s transfer stations and, for residential customers, will be free of charge for up to five tyres for tyres without rims. Tyres with rims will need to have these be removed prior to disposal at CODC transfer stations.
Commercial customers are expected to register with the Tyrewise scheme to manage their tyres directly. Collection sites will not accept tyres from commercial operators from 1 September 2024.
- Pictured: Central Otago District Council Solid Waste Team Leader Lauren Hunter with rimless tyres suitable for disposal at Council transfer stations from 1 September 2024.
