Up to one third of all microplastics released to UK waters come from tyre wear particles

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Social, Environmental & Economics Solutions (SOENECS) Ltd, in partnership with SUEZ recycling and recovery UK (SUEZ) researched and authored The Insight Report: 2030, Invisible Ocean Pollutants from our Road which was published in April 2021.
The report reveals the potential scale of Tyre Wear Particles on UK roads and within ocean microplastics globally, and it sets out recommendations on how to address the challenge by 2030.
Key highlights of The Insight Report: 2030 include:
The report reveals the potential scale of Tyre Wear Particles on UK roads and within ocean microplastics globally, and it sets out recommendations on how to address the challenge by 2030.
Key highlights of The Insight Report: 2030 include:
- Every car tyre weighs about 1 kg less when scrapped than when made, a truck tyre about 8 kg less.
- UK tyre wear produces approximately 63,000 tonnes of tyre wear particles per year.
- Tyre wear particles could account for 28-34% of all microplastics released to UK surface waters:
- Which could amount to 1.03 million tonnes of oceans microplastic including 350,200 tonnes tyre wear particles by 2030
- Which could ultimately amount to over 2.5 million tonnes of ocean microplastics including 850,000 tonnes tyre wear particles by 2050.
- Introducing pollution capture technologies on vehicles, roads, sewers, storm and other drainage
- Collaborating with local authorities, real estate developers, industry and governments to adjust drainage and other urban infrastructure in mitigating the invisible pollution problem.
- Modelling the impact of increased street sweeping, processing and separation, to intercept more tyre wear particles
- Collaborating with start-ups, manufacturers, organisations and researchers to explore novel opportunities for tyre wear particle prevention, including a shift in tyre composition, engineering and design
- Creating a guide for the resources and waste management sector to assist with understanding how the purchase of electric vehicles over the next decade may impact tyre wear particle pollution
- Preparing a business case for including tyres in extended producer responsibility schemes
Dr David Greenfield, Managing Director of SOENECS Ltd, said: "Road vehicle designs of today must be fit for an electrified road network of tomorrow that can wean us off fossil fuels but will have also reduced microplastics from tyre dust. To engineer change and reduce microplastics pollution from tyres we can’t simply rely on changes to individuals’ driving habits, we must collaborate across the value chain of production and consumption in tandem with policy makers and technology innovators, all with end of life in mind to create a truly circular economy."
John Scanlon, Chief Executive Officer for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said: "Understanding how tyre wear particles contribute to microplastics in our built environment is the first step in the journey to reducing microplastics in our natural environment and the global food chain. Meeting the challenge of reducing tyre wear particles is the next piece in the microplastic pollution puzzle.
John Scanlon, Chief Executive Officer for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said: "Understanding how tyre wear particles contribute to microplastics in our built environment is the first step in the journey to reducing microplastics in our natural environment and the global food chain. Meeting the challenge of reducing tyre wear particles is the next piece in the microplastic pollution puzzle.