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It may have taken more than 100 years, but finally, a solution has been found for the safe disposal of the 6.5 million tyres that are discarded in New Zealand each year, thanks to the Tyrewise project being administered by the Ministry for the Environment.

Implemented in 2022 thanks to funding from the government’s Waste Minimisation Fund and operational from September 2024 after being officially regulated, Tyrewise tracks tyres via a network of registered participants throughout their life cycle to ensure recycling and re-purposing into other useful products. Legally, all importers, sellers, collectors, transporters or processors of tyres must register with the government-backed scheme.

One such registered collector and processor of used tyres is Smart Environmental. Part of the waste and resource recovery industry for over 30 years, the business is one of the largest suppliers of waste services in the country, with some 400 staff plus owner-drivers. The business contracts with around 30% of New Zealand Territorial Authorities, according to their company overview.

When Tyrewise was officially given the green light to begin physical operations, Smart Environmental swiftly mobilised to support the initiative. “One of our core values is the diversion of waste from landfills,” says Jonathon Dick, general manager, fleet and systems Smart Environmental. “We have built a strong relationship with Porter Access in many aspects of our operations and this commitment was exemplified when we set up our TyreCycle division.”

Focusing on Smart Environmental’s TyreCycle division, the business operates four main collection and processing depots in strategic locations with numerous feeder sites throughout the country. “With the scheme being implemented only late last year, there was a need for significant investment to set up handling systems and processing plants in a very short timeframe,” says Jonathon. “This is where the agility of Porter Group to supply a number of machines fast and efficiently was particularly noticeable.”

Of importance was the ability of Porter Access to have equipment – specifically telehandlers – ready to deploy quickly. Equipped with large buckets and hydraulic grabs, the telehandlers quickly move the mountains of tyres arriving at the processing plants each day. Every tyre - ranging from small car tyres to massive off-the-road (OTR) types used in quarries - is tracked through the system to its final destination.

The telehandlers play a key role in the tyre recycling process, and the ability to safely stack tyres in stockpiles higher than what a wheel loader can achieve allows for a much more efficient use of space.

The telehandlers are maintained by the Porter Mechanical service team and should any unforeseen onsite issues arise, backup equipment is quickly available, thanks to numerous branches located throughout the country.

“Every tyre now has an end purpose, whether that be shredding to use in biomass power supply systems or some other rubber-related product,” says Jonathon. “By collaborating with key suppliers like Porter Access, we have successfully upheld our values and significantly contributed to Tyrewise’s mission of diverting large volumes of tyre waste from landfills. Our proactive approach and strong partnerships have been instrumental in achieving these environmental goals.”

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- Interview by Cameron Officer

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