The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s compliance team has been out in strength to stop companies illegally exporting waste tyres and has intercepted and seized four containers of baled tyres bound for export at the border.
In early December 2023, the department, and Australian Border Force (ABF), intercepted four containers suspecting that they contained baled tyres.
Examination by ABF confirmed that baled tyres were in all four containers and last week department authorized officers seized those containers.
This latest seizure follows a 12-month campaign by the department and ABF, resulting in several intercepts around the country of illegal waste proposed for export and multiple raids at residential and business locations.
In September 2023, the department caught a Melbourne-based waste tyre company trying to export four containers of baled tyres from the Port of Melbourne to Malaysia.
Acting on intelligence, departmental officers worked closely with ABF to identify the containers and seize them from a vessel scheduled to depart the next day.
The department issued the company with a ‘direction to deal with non-compliance’ requiring the company to deal with the tyres in accordance with the law.
While the waste tyre company held a licence to export shredded tyres, under Australia’s waste export rules, waste tyres in baled form must not be exported.
The department conducted raids on Victorian residences in cooperation with Victoria Police and Environment Protection Authority Victoria to obtain evidence of illegal exports. Materials seized during those raids are being analysed to determine future compliance action.
In New South Wales, the department intercepted and seized nearly 320 tonnes of baled tyres due for export in October last year. A Sydney-based tyre collector attempted to export the tyres across 12 shipping containers.
Investigations into all these matters are ongoing.
Anyone who breaches the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 may be subject to a range of compliance actions including suspending or revoking their licence, injunctions to stop them exporting and financial penalties of up to $825,000 or imprisonment for up to 5 years.
Under the Act, it is illegal to export waste tyres and tyre-derived fuel, which require a waste export licence issued by the department.
