Industrializing a sector and creating a trade; the case of waste tyres valorization in France

Prior to the introduction, at the end of 2003, of producer responsibility for the collection and recovery of used tires, the last remaining tire holders - usually garages or scrap yards - had to bear the responsibility and cost of these operations. They then called on the players of their choice, the vast majority of which were small-scale structures, to carry out these operations.

However, these players, who are numerous and highly competitive, have been unable to establish themselves as trusted partners for potential end-users, due to their inability to offer secure products, whether in terms of quantity, quality or regularity of supply.

Faced with a lack of recovery solutions, the high cost of existing solutions and financial fragility, many operators were no longer able to meet their disposal obligations, and had to cease operations even though they had collected tires without managing to find recovery outlets for them.

This situation led directly to the emergence of unauthorized dumps, known as "historic stocks" or "orphan stocks", with the corollary of health nuisances for neighboring populations due to the increased risk of proliferation of mosquitoes, rodents and reptiles. In addition, these stocks were liable to cause pollution in the event of fire, due to the release of smoke and the migration of contaminated extinguishing water into surface or ground water.

To remedy this worrying situation, the French government has introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), requiring all those who place tires on the French market to finance and organize their collection and recovery.

This article describes the overall organization of the used tire industry in France since the introduction of EPR, its main players and their roles. The vision, positioning and organization of the main eco-organization responsible for implementing producers' obligations, Aliapur, which is responsible for collecting almost 75% of all waste, will be examined in greater detail, given the stakes involved and the lessons that can be learned from its choices.