Tyre Stewardship Australia

Australia’s retread tyre sector is at a critical turning point – and the evidence is now clear.

Today, Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) released Retread Tyre Sector in Australia: Comprehensive Market Analysis, a landmark report showing retread market share in the heavy commercial replacement tyre market has declined from around 20% (2017) to 10% (2025).

Despite steady production (~390,000 retreads/year), the market has shifted rapidly, with new heavy commercial and trailer tyre sales increasing by around 80%, largely driven by lower-cost, and lower-quality, single-use imports.

“This report is a call to action… without government support, we risk losing our last onshore tyre production capability,” said TSA CEO Lina Goodman.

This matters – for local manufacturing, jobs, fleet productivity, and Australia’s circular economy. The report outlines a practical roadmap, including policy options that incentivise retreading and strengthen enforcement against non-compliant imports.

📄 Read the report + media release: https://www.tyrestewardship.org.au/news-and-insights/new-report-reveals-australias-retread-tyre-industry-at-a-crossroads-government-action-urgently-needed

“Illegal tyre dumping is really plaguing the whole country.”

“Councils across the country are complaining that some of their biggest costs are cleaning up illegal tyre dumps.”

The national conversation on illegal tyre dumping continued over the weekend, with Herald Sun spotlighting the scale of the problem — and the growing frustration being felt by communities, councils and legitimate businesses.

The article reports tyres being dumped on roadsides, in paddocks and neighbourhoods across the country, with councils left to manage the clean‑up costs. In Glenroy, local resident Stephanie Garnier described tyres sitting for months before removal, saying it was “a real safety concern for the neighbourhood”.

It also highlights the impact on responsible tyre operators, with recyclers warning that illegal dumping creates an “unlevel playing field”, allowing rogue operators to undercut businesses that recycle tyres properly.

This coverage reinforces that illegal tyre dumping isn’t isolated or anecdotal; it’s widespread, ongoing and increasingly hard for communities to ignore.

📰 Herald Sun, 18 April 2026
🔗 Read the coverage:https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?mode=dpe&sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE930_a&dest=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/digitalprinteditions

Tyres, Trouble, and a System Under Strain - Brent Bultitude Podcast Brent speaks with Lina Goodman, CEO of Tyre Stewardship Australia, about a growing national issue: illegal tyre dumping and the hidden cost it’s creating for communities. A new investigation highlights how some operators are charging disposal fees, then illegally dumping tyres—leaving councils t...

Imagine moving into a new home — only to discover your neighbour is a growing stockpile of illegally dumped tyres.

Not just an eyesore, but a constant fire risk, a breeding ground for vermin, and a source of ongoing stress for your family.

That’s the reality A Current Affair exposed on Friday night (3/4/26) following residents in Melbourne’s northeast complaints of being forced to live alongside abandoned properties filled with dumped tyres.

For people living nearby, it’s a cause of fear and uncertainty. Parents worrying about their children. Residents left to live next to flammable material, knowing tyre fires are difficult to control and can have serious consequences.

As featured in the segment, Tyre Stewardship Australia CEO Lina Goodman put the cost bluntly: “It’s close to $7 million a year that councils are paying to clean up illegally dumped tyres. And we think that’s only half of it.”

That spend is ultimately borne by ratepayers — diverting money away from essential local services — while communities continue to deal with the physical and emotional fallout of illegal dumping.

What’s driving the problem is also clear. Dumping tyres illegally can be profitable, while penalties often amount to little more than a business expense.

Tyres don’t end up dumped next to homes or under bridges by accident.

When illegal dumping carries little real consequence, is it any surprise the problem keeps growing?

📺 Watch the full A Current Affair segment here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-f_0uwnBvk

TSA CEO Lina Goodman features on the cover of the latest edition of Waste Management Review , speaking openly about the scale and cost of illegal tyre dumping — and why Australia can’t afford to delay mandatory product stewardship.

The cover story traces the real impacts on councils, communities and legitimate operators, and highlights the growing economic burden created by organised dumping.

After more than a decade of voluntary measures, the message is clear: the system needs stronger national regulation to protect those doing the right thing.

A timely and important read.

Thank you to Lisa Koryicki for the thorough coverage: https://wastemanagementreview.com.au/illegal-tyre-dumping-costs-australian-councils-millions-calls-for-mandatory-stewardship/

When we were kids, imagination was our default.

A cul-de-sac became a stadium. A footpath became an entire world.

At TSA, we believe that creative thinking and problem-solving shouldn't end in childhood.

Australia generates more end-of-life tyres than our current infrastructure is absorbing. Too many are still illegally dumped — leaving councils to wear the cost and the clean-up.

But local government also holds the key to addressing the issue at its source.

By choosing to use recycled tyres in roads, pathways and community spaces, councils can turn a costly problem into long-lasting community infrastructure.

This is creativity on a civic scale — a practical way of thinking differently about materials, value and community outcomes.

To support councils to procure crumb rubber more easily and more often, TSA has launched a new Crumb Rubber Resource Centre. It is designed to make it simple to:

• Specify crumb rubber in upcoming projects
• Access technical guidance and trusted standards
• Connect with Australian manufacturers and suppliers
• Learn from real-world council projects already delivering results

When councils choose crumb rubber, communities benefit.

Roads last longer.

Surfaces stay strong and flexible.

And end-of-life tyres stay in the value chain — not in creeks, paddocks or national parks.

Explore the Crumb Rubber Resource Centre and reimagine what tyres can become. Link in comments below 👇