Millions of tyres discarded in the UK are being sent to India under the guise of recycling, but many are ending up in unregulated, makeshift furnaces that are causing severe environmental damage and health hazards, an investigation has revealed.
Despite claims of responsible waste management, a significant portion of the UK’s exported tyres are funnelled into India’s black market, where they are subjected to a hazardous process called pyrolysis.
“I don’t imagine there’s anybody in the industry that doesn’t know it’s happening,” says Elliot Mason, owner of one of the biggest tyre recycling plants in the UK.
This method, which involves “cooking” tyres at around 500°C in an oxygen-free environment, is used to extract steel, oil, and carbon black—a fine powder used in various industries. However, it also emits toxic gases and pollutants, posing serious risks to local communities and the environment.
The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) and environmental campaigners say the UK government is fully aware of the issue. While the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) insists strict controls and penalties are in place for improper tyre exports, loopholes and weak enforcement mean many end-of-life tyres are not being disposed of responsibly.
In the UK, consumers typically pay a recycling fee of £3–£6 per tyre when changing them, assuming their old tyres will be safely recycled at certified facilities like Rubber World in Northamptonshire. This company repurposes tyres into rubber crumb, used in playgrounds and equestrian arenas. However, of the 50 million tyres discarded annually in the UK, roughly half—around 700,000 tonnes—are exported, many to India.
Tyres are often compressed into large cubes, or “bales”, before being shipped.
“The pretence is that baled tyres are being sent to India and then shredded and granulated in a factory very similar to ours,” explains Mr Mason.
Though official documents claim these bales are destined for legitimate recycling centres, around 70% reportedly end up in unregulated pyrolysis plants, according to TRA estimates.
To uncover the truth, journalists working with SourceMaterial, a nonprofit investigative group, embedded trackers in shipments of UK tyres. After an eight-week journey, the tyres were tracked to a remote Indian village, where they were delivered to soot-blackened compounds. Drone footage confirmed the tyres were fed into furnaces operating under dangerous conditions.
One of the companies on-site admitted to processing imported tyres but denied wrongdoing. In India, there are estimated to be up to 2,000 pyrolysis plants, around half of which are unlicensed.
These facilities leave behind environmental devastation: black smoke, poisoned waterways, and dying vegetation. Villagers near these plants report chronic health issues such as eye irritation and persistent coughing.
“We want these companies moved from our village,” one witness told us, “otherwise we will not be able to breathe freely.”
A tragic explosion at a pyrolysis plant in Wada in January killed two women and two children. That facility was processing tyres imported from Europe. Local authorities have since shut down seven plants and pledged further action.
Scientific experts from Imperial College London warn that long-term exposure to pyrolysis emissions can lead to respiratory illnesses, neurological damage, and increased cancer risk.
Despite clear dangers, the export of tyres to India continues due to the profitability of baling and shipping over investing in local tyre shredding equipment. Elliot Mason of Rubber World refuses to send tyres overseas, citing his company’s legal and ethical responsibility to ensure proper recycling. Yet, he admits it’s extremely difficult to verify the final destination of exported tyre bales.
In the UK, tyre disposal is regulated through permits. Larger firms like Mason’s operate under strict environmental licenses, while smaller traders often exploit T8 exemptions. These allow them to process up to 40 tonnes of tyres weekly without full regulation. However, several dealers interviewed admitted to far exceeding these limits, with one claiming to export 10 shipping containers—or 250 tonnes—of tyres in a single week.
In one case, a dealer held paperwork certifying his tyres were headed for Indian recycling centres. He later confessed to knowingly sending them to pyrolysis plants, in direct violation of Indian law, which bans the use of imported tyres for pyrolysis.
“There are plenty of companies [that do it]… 90% of English people [are] doing this business,” he told us, adding that he cannot control what happens when tyres arrive in India.
When we asked if he had concerns about the health of those people living and working near the pyrolysis plants he responded: “These issues are international. Brother, we can’t do anything… I’m not a health minister.”
Australia addressed a similar problem by banning the export of baled tyres in 2021 after discovering many were ending up in unsafe conditions abroad.
Lina Goodman, the CEO of Tyre Stewardship Australia, said that “100% of the material was not going to the destinations that were on the paperwork”.
Fighting Dirty founder Georgia Elliott-Smith says sending tyres from the UK to India for pyrolysis is a “massive unrecognised problem” which the UK government should deal with. She wants tyres redefined as “hazardous waste”.
The UK has yet to follow suit, but Defra said it is reviewing waste exemptions and considering reforms to tighten regulations.
“This government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy, moving to a future where we keep our resources in use for longer while protecting our natural environment,” a spokesperson said.
The case underscores the vast gap between official policy and on-the-ground realities. While consumers believe they are paying for ethical tyre recycling, millions of tyres are instead feeding a dangerous, unregulated global trade. The result is a system where toxic waste is exported under a green label—leaving distant communities to pay the price.
——————————————————————————
At Natural World Fund, we are passionate about restoring habitats in the UK to halt the decline in our wildlife.
Donate now and join in the solution!
