On March 13, 2019, the Kemerovo Institute of computer technologies SB RAS held a scientific and practical conference “Integrated environmental approach to the development of the coal industry in the Kemerovo region”.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Governor for industry, transport and ecology Andrey Panov, Head of the regional Department of natural resources and ecology Sergey Vysotsky, Head of the Rosprirodnadzor Department Alexander Bondarenko, scientists of specialized institutes, heads of waste processing enterprises, ecologists of coal enterprises, heads of local governments, as well as guests from Moscow — Sergey Podoynikov, Executive Director of Tyre manufacturers and importers union «EcoTyresUnion», and Vladimir Maryev, head of the scientific and methodological center «Waste and secondary resources management» of the Ministry of industry and trade of Russia.
During the conference, a separate section was devoted to the issue of processing off-the-road tyres (OTR). Kuzbass ranks third in Russia in terms of the amount of this waste generated, which is due to the specifics of the coal industry. In 2015, Federal legislation introduced Extended Producer and Importer Responsibility (EPR) and the obligation to comply with the recycling norms after the goods become waste. Since 2016 every year, the recycling norm for tyres is set, which is 25% in 2019 and in 2020 it will increase to 30 %. In addition, since January 1, 2019, a ban on their dumping has been introduced.
Compliance with the recycling norms can be implemented directly by the tyre manufacturer or importer, or by transferring tyres for recycling to specialized organizations that have the appropriate license.
The participants of the scientific and practical conference noted the low percentage of collection of waste OTR by processors, the lack of reliable data on both the actual volumes of generated waste OTRs and the actual volumes of their recycling. During the discussion, it was proposed to develop a regional system for monitoring the treatment of waste tyres and create a work group to solve the problem of involving OTRs in the recycling process under the Department of natural resources with the participation of Federal and regional environmental supervision authorities, the Ministry of industry and trade and waste processing enterprises, as well as the EcoTyresUnion.