Atika Rehman

Thanks very much to @annameisel.bsky.social @bbcradio4.bsky.social File on 4 Investigates for being a brilliant co-reporting partner.

And then Indian buyers pretend to recycle the tyres, but actually flog them onto illegal pyrolysis plants, so THEY can make a bigger profit.

Then they reach the final destination: unsafe tyre pyrolysis plants. We spoke to people who know children who have died inside them.

UK buyers without a proper permit then flog the tyres onto ships bound for India, so THEY make a bigger profit.

(Instead of actually recycling them, which would cost a lot more.)

So this undercuts the UK tyre recyling sector, which is on the brink of going bust, according to sources.

The graphic here explains the journey of the tyre (courtesy of my fab co-reporter @atikarehman.bsky.social).

Basically, garages are charging you an 'environmental disposal fee' for your tyre, but then flog it on extremely cheap to buyers so they make a bigger profit.

(thread)

Burning Rubber – SourceMaterial Millions of used UK tyres are being shipped to India to make dirty fuel harming people and the environment

Ever heard of a 'pyrolysis' plant? It's almost certainly where your car tyres will end up, sent by UK exporters to be 'boiled' into a toxic oil.

The same plants are killing people. I've seen footage of kids, who lived on site, covered in burns. Read on:

www.source-material.org/waste-tyre-p...

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