THE ESTONIAN TYRE
ASSOCIATION
The Estonian Tyre
Association is a non-profit organisation and the oldest manufacturer’s
liability watchdog in the country. We organise the collection and recycling of
old tyres. Our members are Estonia’s largest producers and importers of
tyres. It is in the best interests of all of these companies that tyres, as
problem products, be reused as effectively and in an as
environmentally-friendly a way as possible, as is required by the state’s
Waste Act and scrap regulations.
MANUFACTURER’S LIABILITY
The Waste Act applies the
principle of manufacturer's liability to problem products, which means that the
manufacturer is obliged to ensure the collection and recycling or removal of
the waste produced by products it has manufactured, sold or imported.
Manufacturer’s liability applies to those
companies – producers, importers and wholesale and retail sellers –
who are obliged to take
responsibility for the substances contained in their products, the components
of the products and the products as a whole from the moment of their production
to the point at which they become waste.
In the case of tyres,
European Union member states are guided by this principle of
manufacturer’s liability, according to which importers and producers must
finance a system of used tyre collection and recycling. Tyres have been
included in the list of problem products in Estonia since the state’s
scrap regulations were updated in July 2005, and manufacturer’s liability
thus also applies to them.
In reality, implementing
this principle has generally meant that producers or importers add a recycling
fee to the price of a new tyre, with the money collected in this way forwarded
to the manufacturer’s liability organisation. This organisation then
arranges for the collection and recycling of the tyres, outsourcing services
from the waste management sector.
Tyre recycling has been
obligatory since 1 January 2006.
DECLARING QUANTITIES
Importers
At the beginning of each
month, companies who import tyres for sale declare the total number of tyres
sold (primary sales) in the previous calendar month to the Estonian Tyre
Association.
Retreaders
At the beginning of each
month, companies who import tyres for retreading declare the total number of
tyres sold (primary sales) in the previous calendar month to the Estonian Tyre
Association. Retreaders do not need to declare sales of tyres which have been
recycled from those collected in Estonia.
Calculating fees
The Estonian Tyre
Association issues invoices based on the declared number of tyres multiplied by
the amount of the recycling fee.
Fee payment
Members of the Estonian
Tyre Association are given three months in which to pay their fees.
Companies which are not
members of the association must pay within two weeks.
Fees
1st class: 800
EEK/ton or 51.3 EUR/ton
2nd class: 800
EEK/ton or 51.3 EUR/ton
Establishing a system for the financing of the
collection and recycling of old tyres
Tyre importers and
retreaders began paying a recycling fee on imported tyres to the Estonian Tyre
Association on 1 January 2006. The first report was presented to the
association at the beginning of February 2006 regarding the previous month.
Use of the money collected
The Estonian Tyre
Association is a manufacturer’s liability watchdog which organises the
collection and recycling of reusable tyres.
When tyre companies
(importers and retreaders) enter into manufacturer’s liability agreements
with the association, declare the amount of tyres they sell and pay their
invoices, the companies delegate the responsibilities placed on them by the
Waste Act to the Estonian Tyre Association.
The association accepts old
and historical tyres from individuals, local governments, tyre workshops who
have entered into agreements with us and cleaning companies throughout the
country free of charge.
TYRE SHREDDER
The Estonian Tyre
Association has acquired a tyre shredder unique in Estonia for the recycling of
its tyres. An international tender was organised for the procurement of the
machine which was won by OÜ Weima Baltic. The shredder cost 6,995,000 EEK
(+ VAT), with half of this sum financed by the Environmental Investment Centre.
The shredder was
manufactured by the German company Artech and arrived in Estonia in early
December 2005. The shredder sits on a trailer, making it easy to transport to
collection points around the country and shred old tyres on site. The machine
is capable of shredding between five and eight tons of tyres per hour and
operates on two 75 kW electric motors. It has a separate sifter, guaranteeing
that the size of the shredded tyre pieces is 100 mm x 100 mm.
The material produced can
be used in road construction, as a raw material in the production of new tyres
and for the building of waste disposal site infrastructure.
Tyre shredder data:
Manufacturer: Artech
(Germany)
Operations: Mobile, sits on
trailer, shreds 5-8 tons/hour
Power: 2 x 75 kW electric
motors
Output: Separate sifter
ensures shredded tyre pieces of 100 mm x 100 mm
Cost: 6,995,000 EEK (+ VAT)
CONTACT DETAILS & COMPANY INFORMATION
ESTONIAN TYRE ASSOCIATION
Reg. no. 80118804
VAT no. EE100857124
Address: Vana-Narva mnt 26,
Maardu 74114, Estonia
Telephone: +372 633
9246, +372 56 236 697, +372 51 59 279
Fax: +372 633 9241
info@rehviliit.ee
Managing Director: Kaur
Kuurme, telephone: +372 56 236 697, e-mail: kaur.kuurme@rehviliit.ee
