Assignment
Directive on tire disposal Scrap tires have become a major headache for the UK and other EU governments. A European Directive banned landfills on whole tires in 2003 and shredded tires by 2006. The option of dumping tires in major landfill sites will be closed and new ways will have to be found to dispose of the 13 million tires that are stockpiled or put in landfills every year in the UK. The problem is huge. The number of tires is forecast to increase by up to 60% by 2021, as the number of vehicles rises. Every day, 100,000 tires are taken off cars, vans, trucks, buses and bicycles in the UK. It is widely estimated that there are now more than 200 million tires lying around. By their very nature, tires are difficult to dispose of since they are designed not to fall apart while you are driving along the motorway. Although tires remain substantially intact for decades, some of their components can break down and enter the environment. Environmental concern centers on the highly toxic additives used in their manufacture, such as zinc, chromium, lead, copper, cadmium and sculpture. The Environment Agency launched a campaign in 2002 in the UK to alert the public and industry to the need to prolong the life of existing tires and to find new recycling methods.
'You can find landfill sites that cover an entire valley, with black as far as the eye can see,' said an Environment Agency spokesman. ‘We have always viewed tires as a resource, rather than something to be dumped.' The best use of tires is probably to retread them, but this is now expensive, and fewer than ever is recycled in this way. According to the Used Tire Working Group, a joint industry and government initiative sponsored by the main tire industry associations, just 18% of Britain's tires are retreaded. A further 48,500 tons are converted into ‘crumb rubber' used in carpet underlay and to make surfaces such as those on children's playgrounds. More controversially, 18% are burnt as a ‘replacement fuel' in the manufacture of cement. This is fast becoming the most popular way of disposing of them, but it is of increasing concern to environmentalists and scientists. ‘Tire burning emits ultra-fine particles that have a toxicity all of their own,' says Viviane Howard, senior lecturer in toxic pathology at Liverpool University. ‘The toxicity is even stronger if this contains metals such as nickel and tin, which you get when you throw the whole tyre into the furnace. If the metal content of the particles goes up, then there is going to be an increasing impact on health.' The cement companies deny that they are affecting people's health. Meanwhile, the UK sends 26% of its tyres to landfill, far less than some other EU countries. France sends almost 50%, Spain 58%, but Holland sends none. The UK is now racking its brains as to how to dispose of the 13 million tyres that accumulate each year. Many believe the onus is on the manufacturers to produce tyres that lend themselves to greater recycling.
Question
1. What does this case study suggest about the relevance of EU legal decisions to UK businesses and individuals? Give examples of possible impacts of this Directive involving tyres on both.
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.