Management of end-of-life tyres in India: current practices, regulatory framework, challenges, and opportunities

The tyre waste is growing with the increase in population and motorisation. There are billions of scrap tyres available all around the world. Because of its non-biodegradability, tyre waste disposal has become an environmental challenge in many developing nations, such as India. Therefore, proper management is required to handle this issue in an economically feasible and environmentally friendly manner. The Government of India has framed rules for producers and recyclers for proper waste tyre management in past years. Almost negligible research has been carried out on waste tyre management in India. In the present study, an attempt has been made to review the situation of tyre waste management, the compliance of the existing waste tyre pyrolysis plants, the development of policy and regulatory framework, opportunities, and challenges. The study found that 53.90% of tyre pyrolysis units are non-complying with government guidelines and need improved operations by adopting advanced features. Many waste tyre pyrolysis units were categorised into red, green, and orange categories based on the pollution index and a significant number of them were shut down. The study summarised the government of India's initiatives of introducing the extended producers responsibility (EPR) principle in 2022 in addition to the existing free market system (FMS) to improve the waste tire management system. Furthermore, the study suggests that implementation of EPR, launching of the EPR portal, upgradation of pyrolysis plants, adherence to the rules by the stakeholders and creation of awareness among rural communities about the scientific disposal of waste tyres are expected to increase the resource recovery rate and decrease the environmental and health problems in future. The outcomes of the study are helpful for future research and policymaking.