Recycling Europe, the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation and Tyres Europe, the European Tyre Manufacturers’ Association have issued a joint paper calling on the European Commission to urgently develop EU-wide End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria for rubber derived from End-of-Life Tyres (ELTs) to facilitate cross-border trade in the EU and increase the use of recycled materials in manufacturing.

In the joint position paper titled “Harmonised End-of-Waste criteria: A key step to strengthening Europe’s tyre recycling market”, Recycling Europe and Tyres Europe stress that the lack of harmonised EoW criteria creates legal and administrative barriers across Member States, undermining market confidence and limiting recycled materials uptake.

Despite being identified by the Joint Research Centre in 2021 as a top candidate for EoW criteria, progress has stalled. The establishment of harmonised EoW rules would clarify when ELT-derived rubber is no longer considered waste, ensuring compliance with product legislation, improving quality assurance, and enabling circular procurement at scale.

“Technical conditions for ELT rubber to cease being waste are well defined. What’s missing is legal certainty. EU-wide EoW criteria are essential to unlock intra-EU trade, investment, and circular use of recycled rubber,” said Julia Ettinger, Secretary General of Recycling Europe.

“Standardised End-of-Waste criteria will boost demand for high-quality secondary raw materials and reduce dependence on virgin resources,” said Adam McCarthy, Secretary General of Tyres Europe. “These standards will support the uptake of recycled inputs in tyre manufacturing, thus supporting the objectives of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).”

The tyre value chain is aligned and ready to support the Commission in defining workable, enforceable EoW rules under the Waste Framework Directive to safeguard valuable resources and ensure the development of a well-functioning internal market for recycled materials in the EU.

Read more in the joint position paper below.

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