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Millions of used tyres exported from the UK to India for recycling are instead being incinerated in illegal furnaces, posing severe health and environmental risks. A recent BBC report revealed that approximately 70% of used tyres imported by India are diverted to unregulated pyrolysis plants instead of legitimate recycling facilities. UK alone exports around half of the 5o million used tyres to India every year.

The UK government has been criticized for its lax enforcement of regulations surrounding waste tyre exports. While garages charge a recycling fee of £3 to £6 per tyre, intended of ensuring proper disposal, many tyres end up in the black market. Industry insiders, including Elliot Mason, owner of a major tyre recycling facility, acknowledged that this issue is well-known within the sector.

In India, these tyres are subjected to pyrolysis—a process that heats them in an oxygen-free environment at around 500°C to extract crude oil, carbon black, and scrap steel. However, this method releases toxic fumes that contaminate air, soil, and water, exposing local communities to serious health hazards such as respiratory diseases and neurological disorders. Drone footage reportedly shows thousands of tyres stacked in compounds awaiting incineration.

Despite the Indian government’s ban on importing tyres for pyrolysis, many UK traders supply these waste tyres to illegal operations in India, with some dealers even exceeding their export quotas significantly, as per the reports.

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