Agricultural operations legitimately use tyres as silage clamps, but what happens when they are no longer needed?
Rightly, or wrongly, farmers have the capacity to dispose of waste where it cannot be seen. They have the equipment and the space to dig a hole, bury waste and cover it up. Most conscientious farmers will, of course, not do that, but what can they do with their old tyres?
France has a solution. One that addresses the issue of cost of disposal for the farmers. In 2019, Ensivalor was established with a view to dealing with this agricultural tyre problem. It has been collecting around 15,000 tonnes of tyres per year, but this has come at a cost to the farmers.
Now, a Decree passed in March 2023 will see that change. This decree expanded the responsibility of the tyre producers, requiring them to recover agricultural tyres, from 1st Jan 2024, this will include tyres used for silage clamps. These will be taken back for recycling, free of charge.
The target for Ensivalor for the collection of silage tyres in 2024 has been set at 30,000 tonnes, increasing by 10,000 tonnes per year to an expected peak of 70,000 tonnes in 2028.
The collection will be coordinated by trade bodies and unions, with contracts made with Ensivalor to handle the collection and disposal.
