This is why used car tires are classified as environmentally harmful waste.
Specialist Andris Ziemelis admits that in recent years in Latvia the stocks of used tires, the so-called “historical accumulation of tires” (including old, bad and unsuitable for recycling tires), have significantly decreased, but the situation still cannot be considered normal due to the large number of tires discarded in forests.
State Joint Stock Company “Latvijas valsts meži” recently reported that last year, in the 1,724 tons of waste collected in the country’s forests, the share of discarded tires was 16% – that’s more than 250 tons. At the last Great Community Cleanup in Riga, participants collected more than 700 used tires.
Representative of the municipality-owned ZAAO LLC Dina Lukasheviča-Lace says that the Latvian legal regulation regarding tires as hazardous waste is quite strict, but practice shows that it is not enough to stimulate the reuse and actual recycling of tires.
Łukaševiča-Latse emphasizes that residents have a lack of understanding regarding the impact of used tires on the environment and health.
“There is a need for stricter supervision of unscrupulous tire recyclers and the application of sanctions to those who violate the rules. It would be possible, for example, to introduce discounts or tax incentives for companies that are responsible in recycling tires,” noted the ZAAO expert. (Latvijas Avize)
2024-05-13 22:30:47
