Research and analysis

The Environment Agency's regulation of waste pneumatic tyres and their export

Findings of the internal review into the Environment Agency's regulation of waste pneumatic tyres and their export, focusing on the export of this waste to India.

From:
Environment Agency
Published
1 August 2025
Last updated
12 January 2026 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Internal review: Environment Agency's regulation of waste pneumatic tyres and their export

PDF, 18.3 MB, 170 pages

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Appendix 4.8: Visualisation of exports of 4004 (June 2022 to April 2025)

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Appendix 4.10: Recording, disseminating and using intelligence

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Appendix 4.14: Gazette of India (22 July 2022)

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Appendix 4.15: Questionnaire on waste pneumatic tyres (India's response)

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Appendix 4.18: Incidents and their classification common incident classification scheme (CICS)

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Implementation plan (January 2026): Environment Agency's regulation of waste pneumatic tyres and their export

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Details

The Environment Agency focused this review on waste tyre exports to India as 89% of the UK’s waste rubber is exported to India for recovery into secondary products. We have also received numerous stakeholder enquiries related to the environmentally sound management of waste pneumatic tyres in India.

Some information is redacted for legal reasons.

The Environment Agency welcomes comments and suggestions from stakeholders on implementation of the actions in this report. These can be emailed to wastetyresreview@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Enhanced verification of waste tyre exports to India – Effective 1 October 2025 

From 1 October 2025, exporters subject to an information notice must provide evidence demonstrating that the waste tyres exported to India will be recovered in an environmentally sound manner. This process is known as enhanced verification. They must also provide the Annex VII movement forms for all exports of waste tyres from the 28 October 2025.

These checks aim to address concerns that UK waste tyres are being diverted from the facilities listed on the Annex VII document and are instead ending up at illegal pyrolysis sites in India. 

If the Environment Agency is not satisfied with the evidence provided, it will use its legal powers to prevent the export of waste tyres on a shipment-by-shipment basis.

Implementation plan

The implementation plan attached to this page summarises our progress (up to 12 January 2026) and outlines next steps for 2026.

Updates to this page

Published 1 August 2025
Last updated 12 January 2026 show all updates

  1. Added an implementation plan setting out progress to date against the actions identified in the review published in August 2025.

  2. Updated to reflect the current position on enhanced verification of waste tyre exports to India, which is effective from 1 October 2025. From 1 October 2025, exporters subject to an information notice must provide evidence demonstrating that the waste tyres exported to India will be recovered in an environmentally sound manner. This process is known as enhanced verification. They must also provide the Annex VII movement forms for all exports of waste tyres from the 28 October 2025.

  3. In 'Details' added: The Environment Agency welcomes comments and suggestions from stakeholders on implementation of the actions in this report. These can be emailed to wastetyresreview@environment-agency.gov.uk.

  4. First published.

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