Motorists will have to pay a R2.30/kg levy on new tyres from October, but Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa’s gazetting of a revised tyre recycling plan – which includes the levy – is unlikely to end her tussle with the industry, says a Business Day report. Members of the industry submitted a competing plan to the department this week, arguing that SA’s waste management regulations allow for more than one plan. The SA Tyre Recycling Process Company submitted a plan on Monday and was waiting to hear when it would be published for comment, Etienne Human, its CEO, said. More than 200 000 tons of tyres become waste every year and about 11m used tyres are dumped illegally or burnt to retrieve the steel wire inside. These figures are expected to increase. The report notes Molewa was forced to withdraw the original recycling plan a week after launching it in February. The SA Tyre Recycling Process Company instigated legal action against her on the grounds that the plan had not been properly released for public comment.
