Australian authorities have intercepted 10 shipping containers carrying illegal tyre waste bound for Malaysia.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) identified the 280-tonne shipment, equal to around 175 passenger cars, during routine monitoring in Sydney.
Compliance officers from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) inspected the containers and found baled tyres and bags of shredded tyre waste in breach of the Recycling and Waste Reduction (RAWR) Act 2020 and the Recycling and Waste Reduction (Export—Waste Tyres) Rules 2021.
The Melbourne-based exporter was ordered to collect the containers at its own expense. The company is liable for detention, inspection, and transport fees estimated at more than $30,000, and may also face further costs to process the tyres in line with legal standards.
Under the RAWR Act, unlawful export of tyres carries penalties of up to five years in prison and fines of $198,000 for individuals or $990,000 for companies.
Since the introduction of the tyre export rules, the ABF and DCCEEW stated that they have intercepted 61 containers of non-compliant tyre waste across 14 separate consignments, preventing an estimated 1,700 tonnes of waste tyres from being exported.
A DCCEEW spokesperson said exporters must ensure end-of-life tyres are processed correctly and comply with Australia’s waste export laws.
