TRACS takes issue with Minister’s statement

The (Tyre Recovery Activity Compliance Scheme) TRACS has taken issue with elements of Environment Minister, Alan Kelly’s statement, which was issued to TyreTrade.ie earlier this week.

TRACS issued the following statement this morning:

TRACS totally refutes aspects of Minister Kelly’s press release of Sept 25th 2015. TRACS was a successful compliance scheme, operated on behalf of the compliant industry until the Department decided not to renew its licence, in favour of a WEEE Register / REPAK alliance.

TRACS sees a successful Compliance Scheme being replaced by an overly complicated and expensive new scheme being run by REPAK and the WEEE Register Society, not fit for purpose.

1. The report referred to in the Press Release, “The All Island Used Tyre Survey” a desktop report sponsored jointly by the DOE and DoECLG and published in Jan 2013, inaccurately reviewed tyre market statistics, counting tyres that are already on vehicles not captured in CSO numbers (on the instructions of the Revenue Commissioners). The Minister relied on this inaccurate assessment that half the waste tyres are un-accounted for.
2. The entities referred to who created illegal stockpiles of waste tyres all had waste tyre permits issued by their respective Local Authorities. A total lack of enforcement resulted in taxpayers footing the bill for subsequent clean-ups.
3. Success of TRACS – 75% imports and 90% waste tyres accounted for in 2013, a record which can be favourably compared to any compliance scheme in Europe. (see table below)