Legambiente’s study ‘Illegal trafficking of waste, counterfeit goods, agri-food products and protected species: numbers, stories and scenarios of black globalisation’ shows that, between 2011-2012, illegal waste trafficking accounted for 23% of all illegal trafficking.

In 2012 alone, 59% of ELT exports were outlawed and seized at Italian customs controls.

Other institutional sources also confirm an increase in illegal waste trafficking: the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Commission, Interpol, Europol, the various European agencies and organisations dealing with environmental legislation and controls. The interest of criminal organisations in ELTs is explained by the infinite possible applications of ELTs, including their use as fuel.

The main countries involved in the illegal export of ELTs are India (approximately 3,000 tonnes), South Korea (approximately 3,000 tonnes), Thailand (1,700 tonnes), Burkina Faso (approximately 51 tonnes) and Turkey (approximately 22 tonnes). One obstacle to the illegal trade in end-of-life tyres is the activity of management consortia such as Greentire, which monitor the quantities produced and trace their path through the recycling chain.

Tracking ELTs also makes it possible to prevent the creation of new illegal landfills or to increase existing ones. The result is a saving for the community: clean-up costs are reduced or avoided altogether, and the uncovering of illegal trafficking in end-of-life tyres makes it possible to collect VAT on the sale of tyres, which is otherwise evaded.

Greentire had joined Cambio Pulito, the first Italian whistleblowing platform for confidential and anonymous reporting of situations of irregularity and illegality. Here it was possible to report everything from ‘black’ sales to evasion of the environmental contribution for the recycling of End-of-Life Tyres (ELTs), along an entire supply chain that brings together more than 50,000 companies throughout Italy.

Cambio Pulito, a platform that is no longer active, was the result of an extraordinary alliance between environmentalist associations, trade associations, and ELT management consortia, to indicate a precise road to be taken in our country to effectively prevent and fight the phenomena of illegality.

The end of life tires treated in the granulation plants, in consideration of the materials used for their realization, allow to obtain different products. Here is a list with the definitions required by the EN / TS 14243: 2010 normative

Primary cut: generally from 300 mm (contains rubber, steel and textile fibers)

Ciabatta: generally from 20 mm to 400 mm (contains rubber, steel and textile fibers)

Cippato: generally from 10 mm to 50 mm (contains rubber and textile fibers)

Granulate *: generally from 0.8 mm to 20 mm (basically contains only rubber – about 99%)

Steel

Textile fibers

*Note: the material can be defined as up to the upper threshold of 20 mm provided that the product is free of impurities, or at 99% of its composition, textile fibres and metal are absent.)

In end of life tires management, the term “Green Public Procurement” is often encountered, usually translated into Italian in “Public Administration green purchases”. A concept that underlines the need to evaluate also the environmental aspects in the procedures to purchase products and services.

The Entities, in their supplies choice strategy, should privilege “those products and services that have a minor or a reduced effect on human health and on environment, compared to other products and services used for the same purpose”. The direct consequence of these choices would constitute, for the community, a reduction in energy consumption as well as a lower emission of pollutants – in primis CO2.

Currently, at national level, the “Action Plan for the sustainability of consumption in the public administration” has been approved. Once the minimum environmental criteria established in art. 2 of the Decree, would allow compliance with the guidelines set by the European Community, in other words the application of ecological criteria in at least 50% of purchases by the Public Administration.