Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) is calling for urgent legislative reform to end the practice of burying mining tyres in pits—despite the availability of capable recycling facilities. Over 100,000 tonnes of mining tyres are still buried annually, and the lack of policy incentives allows this destructive practice to persist. 

Context & TSA’s Core Arguments

• TSA notes that even though recycling facilities, such as Tyrecycle’s OTR plant in Port Hedland, are capable of processing up to 30,000 tonnes/year and have diverted 1,500 tonnes in their first year, they remain underutilized because mining operators are legally permitted to bury tyres. 

• According to TSA’s five-year Material Flow Analysis, only ~5% of mining tyres in Australia are recovered, while the vast majority end up buried. 

• TSA CEO Lina Goodman emphasizes the regulatory mismatch: The industry has invested in world-class recycling infrastructure, but without legislative mandates, mining companies lack incentives to divert tyre waste. 

• In its submission to Australia’s National Circular Economy consultation, TSA also recommended phasing out on-site tyre burial, including tyres and related waste such as conveyor belts, to ensure resource recovery.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) has highlighted that, despite the presence of major new recycling facilities in Western Australia, more than 100,000 tonnes of mining tyres are still legally buried each year. The opening of Tyrecycle’s dedicated OTR tyre recycling plant in Port Hedland demonstrates the capability of industry investment, with the site already diverting 1,500 tonnes in its first year and designed to process up to 30,000 tonnes annually.

TSA’s five-year benchmark report, the Material Flow Analysis, shows that only around 5% of Australia’s mining tyres are recovered. According to TSA, the barrier is not infrastructure or technology, but regulation that continues to permit pit burial even where recycling options are available.

TSA CEO Lina Goodman described the new facilities as “some of the world’s best tyre recycling facilities,” but noted that without legislative change, they will remain underutilised. In a recent ABC News interview, she warned of the risk that plants could be mothballed if the rules allowing pit burial are not revised.

The organisation argues that significant investments are at stake. Without a consistent supply of used tyres to recycling plants, valuable resources such as natural rubber will continue to be lost, and taxpayer-funded infrastructure will not reach its potential.

More details on Tyre Stewardship Australia’s position and reports are available on TSA’s website.

Turn Regulation Into Action: Partner with Klean to Shape Australia’s Tyre Circular Future

Policy clarity. Technical strategy. One partner that bridges industry with regulation.

To transition from tyre burial to circular recovery at scale, Australia requires both infrastructure and a robust legal framework. Klean Industries provides in-depth technical, policy, and project support to help you lead in regulatory design, compliance pathways, and the implementation of circular systems.

Klean’s Value in Circular Regulation & Projects:

✅ Regulatory mapping & policy design advice
✅ Technical validation & recycling system integration
✅ Compliance strategy & stakeholder alignment
✅ Offtake & supply chain strategy for OTR and mining tyres
✅ Advisory across concept, implementation, and scaling

With Klean’s domain depth across circular, waste, and recycling sectors, your project or policy initiative is positioned to lead, not lag.

Ready to help end the burial of mining tyres in Australia?

Connect with a Klean Industries Circular Tyre Strategy Expert » GO.