A new system of policing the disposal of tyres is due to be introduced in the coming months as concern grows over the number of tyres discarded on farms or "tyre depots".
Last year it finally became illegal to dump tyres in landfill sites, but no licences or permits are required by farmers using tyres on silage pits or storing them on their premises. Tyres have an average life-span of 30 years.
The rules in the Republic differ from Northern Ireland, where old tyres are classified as hazardous waste and regarded as an environmental threat. In the North, a permit - or exemption - is required by farmers wishing to use tyres in silage pits or the like. It costs £731 (€1,058) and must be renewed every three years.
According to Teagasc, the farm advisory board, half of the 130,000 farmers in the state would operate silage pits.
An estimated two million tyres are disposed off each year, 1.8 million from cars. Only five per cent are being recycled, so the vast majority are lying in depots or silage pits.
Crossmore Transport, based in Kildorrery, Co Cork, is the largest tyre disposal operation in Ireland - it is responsible for collecting nearly 85 per cent of the used tyres. Of the estimated 1.6 million tyres it collects every year, five per cent go to remoulding or are exported to foreign markets where tread depth levels are lower than our four-millimetre minimum.
The rest end up on farms, according to Crossmore boss John O'Keeffe. The company has permits to dispose of tyres in every county, and does so for large operators such as Advanced Pitstop.
However it's feared that unlicensed firms are disposing of tyres locally, with dealers keen only to get rid of the tyres.
According to Padraig Hand of recycling firm Crumbs Ireland: "It's price that determines how tyres are disposed off. Tyre sellers just want to get them off their premises and pay between €1 and €2 each to do it.
"We recycle the tyres and charge €2. But others who don't recycle charge much less and, in this game, it's the cheapest man that wins."
According to O'Keeffe of Crossmore: "At the end of the day it's all down to money - I can't force people to give me tyres. We are fully regulated and licenced, and we have regular audits, most recently in March, where Cork Co Council gave us a clean bill of health. Of course, there are some unlicensed operators out there and that's why we need tighter regulation."
The Irish Tyre Federation, comprising importers and tyre retailers, is proposing a self-policing system in the industry whereby tyres can be traced from sales to disposal. However, such a scheme is unlikely to be in operation until the end of the year. Then, the system will require dealers to hold a complete record on the disposal of each tyre, showing where it ended up. However, the Department of Environment, which is negotiating the new system with the tyre industry, says there are no plans to introduce levies on farmers for using tyres.
