The scale and cost of illegal dumping and stockpiling is very difficult to quantify due to its widespread, illicit and varied nature.

This report provides a reasonable estimate of the cost and scale of illegal dumping and stockpiling associated with end-of-life tyres:

• cleaned up by local governments (good estimate)
• cleaned up by state government agencies (reasonable estimate)
• in known large stockpiles (reasonable estimate).

Dumped and stockpiled waste is offensive and hazardous to the environment and humans. Dumped tyres collect water and become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Additionally, when they burn, tyres release thick, toxic smoke, as well as liquid chemicals from thermal decomposition that are washed away in fire-fighting run-off and can seriously pollute the downstream environment.

Dumped tyres are a costly nuisance to local councils and land managers.

Click here to download the full report.