The Tyre Recovery Activity Compliance Scheme (TRACS) 2011 annual report, shows a steady rate of increased membership.

Membership includes 100% of tyre manufacturers, 90% of tyre distributors, 63% of retail outlets, 60% of wholesalers and 46% of waste collectors now members of TRACS.  38% of operators, where handling and supply of tyres and waste tyres is incidental to core business activities, are also members.

A breakdown of TRACS 2010 figures show, that more businesses than ever before are recognising the potential value of end of life waste tyres, with greater numbers of waste tyres being turned into further profitable products.

TRACS urges all retailers to deal only with registered and authorised waste collectors and to look for a RECOVERY CERTIFICATE as proof of authenticity.  

Although TRACS reported successfully on targets for monitoring of tyre waste in 2009, it finds itself no longer able to operate under the conditions of its original approval, since the designation of another certification scheme in 2010.

As things currently stand, the approval of the second scheme has compromised overall data collation and reconciliation.  In the absence of any metrics or membership listing from that second scheme, the overall operation and targets for 2010 unfortunately cannot be reported upon, nor can the reconciliation exercise be performed.  The appeal for businesses to join a scheme, which does not collect statistics on tyres supplied, nor list members, is obvious, but this situation is not sustainable and TRACS’ sees no other option but to recommend that the approval for this second scheme be revoked.

The full 2011 annual report, along with a full list of importers, manufacturers, retailers and waste collectors in Ireland, who have registered with TRACS is available online at www.tracsireland.ie.