BRUSSELS—European tire manufacturers may be underreporting the total tonnage of European end-of-life tires by as much as 57 percent, according to the European Tyre Recycling Association.
ETRA presented statistics on scrap tires at its 22nd annual conference in Brussels March 25-27 that far exceeded those of the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers Association, ETRA said in an April 2 news release.
The most recent figures from ETRMA, ETRA said, were from 2013, when the tire manufacturers' association reported end-of-life tires in Europe totaling 1.897 million metric tons, ETRA said.
ETRMA's scrap tire statistics come from its 12 tire manufacturer members, the tire recycling association said.
“These are the figures upon which tire recycling strategies and programs are established throughout Europe, figures upon which investors base business plans,” ETRA said. “However, the picture painted by ETRA gives a very different outlook.”
ETRA cross-checked ETRMA's statistics against vehicle manufacture and replacement tire sales figures, the tire recycling association said. Taking those into account and making a 20 percent allowance for loss through wear, ETRA said it believes total tonnage of scrap tires across Europe may be as high as 2.99 million tons, or 57 percent above ETRMA's statistics.
“That figure of 2.99 million tons, if correct, raises questions about the standard of data collection and recording across Europe,” ETRA said.