India faces a severe environmental crisis as it becomes a primary destination for the world's waste tires, with millions of discarded rubber units fueling polluting pyrolysis plants across the country. This influx, often diverted to unregulated facilities, creates a toxic "black wind" of carcinogenic gases and soot, endangering public health and the environment. A deadly explosion at a pyrolysis plant near Mumbai in January 2025, which killed four people including two children, highlighted the grave risks of this booming, often illegal, trade.^[1][2][3] ### India's Growing Waste Tire Burden India's domestic tire production is significant, reaching 217.4 million units in 2023, totaling 2.5 million metric tonnes (MT) annually since 2019.^[4] After accounting for wear and tear, about 2 million MT of these tires become scrap each year.^[4][5] On top of this, India imports a substantial amount of waste tires, adding another 0.8 million MT annually from countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, and the UAE.^[4][5] Between April and November 2023 alone, India imported approximately 800,000 tonnes of scrapped tires.^[6] The total amount of waste tires managed in India now stands at about 2.8 million MT each year.^[5] The import of waste rubber increased fivefold between fiscal years 2020-21 and 2024-25, reaching 1.372 million metric tonnes (LMT).^[7] In 2024, India processed about 3 LMT of waste tires, with 1.6 LMT originating domestically and 1.4 LMT imported.^[7] This surge in imports occurred despite India's stated recycling capacity of 2.876 LMT.^[7] This means India's stock of waste tires in 2024-25 reached 4.3 LMT, far exceeding its capacity to process them.^[7] Developed nations often export these end-of-life tires to India because recycling them locally is not permitted or is more expensive.^[4][5] Many countries, including the UK, have available domestic recycling capacity but continue to export large volumes.^[6] Peter Taylor, Secretary General of the UK Tyre Recovery Association, noted that "upwards of 50 million British tyres could be being burned illegally in India each year."^[2] ### The Perilous Pyrolysis Process Most of these imported tires, around 70%, end up in pyrolysis plants, which are industrial ovens that heat tires in oxygen-free chambers.^[8][1][2] This process breaks down the rubber into pyrolysis oil, carbon black residue, and steel scrap.^[8] While pyrolysis can be a legitimate recycling method, many plants in India operate without licenses or proper monitoring.^[1] India banned the import of waste tires specifically for pyrolysis plants in July 2022.^[7][2] However, this ban has proven ineffective due to significant loopholes.^[7] Waste rubber tires often enter the country under the broader customs classification of "rubber scrap," making them difficult for officials to detect without physical inspection.^[7] As a result, the import of waste tires has actually increased since the ban.^[7] An investigation by SourceMaterial and BBC File on 4 Investigates found that shipments regularly reach India from the UK, the largest exporter of tires to India despite the ban.^[2] These tracked tires often travel hundreds of miles to unregulated sites.^[2] A senior official of a State Pollution Control Board confirmed that they found imported waste tires at plants that had received compliance notices or closure orders.^[7] The official explained that imported tires are easily identifiable by their specific cuts, ties, and foreign brand names.^[7] ### A Decade of Cancer-Causing Pollution The environmental and health impacts of these unregulated pyrolysis plants are severe.^[4][7][2] The process releases a "noxious cocktail" of carcinogenic gases, including Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, furans, and oxides of nitrogen into the atmosphere.^[4][7][1] Residents living near industrial areas like Lohgarh in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district report suffering from a foul smell and black dust covering their homes and crops for a decade.^[7] Yogendra Mawai, a professor of Pharmacy at Shri Ram College of Pharmacy, Morena, stated that residents "have been breathing cancer for the last decade."^[7] He added that these factories "cook domestic and imported tyres many times higher than their permissible limits."^[7] Energy and Environmental expert Sagar Dhara from Delhi warned that these carcinogenic gases increase the risk of lung, skin, and bladder cancer.^[7] He also noted that the release of heavy metals like zinc, lead, and cadmium can accumulate in the body, causing neurotoxicity, kidney damage, and developmental issues in children.^[7] Accidents at these plants are tragically common.^[2] In January 2025, an explosion at a makeshift pyrolysis plant in Wada, near Mumbai, killed two adults and two young children, aged one and three, who lived at the factory.^[1][2][3] This plant was reportedly processing tires sourced from Europe and lacked basic safety measures.^[3] Local authorities subsequently shut down seven plants in the region.^[3] ### Regulatory Challenges and Loopholes India's government has attempted to address the issue. In 2019, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) ordered 270 tire pyrolysis units across 19 states to shut down due to environmental norm violations and high pollution levels.^[9][10] More recently, in December 2023, the CPCB categorized the pyrolysis sector as "orange," indicating its air pollution potential from combustion and fugitive emissions.^[4][6] In 2022, India introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for waste tires.^{[11][4][7][12]} This policy makes tire producers and importers responsible for the scientific disposal of end-of-life tires, aiming for 100% compliance by 2024-25.^[11][7] Under EPR, producers must ensure the disposal of the same amount of tires they manufacture or import each year.^[7] Recyclers generate EPR credits by processing waste tires, which producers can then purchase to meet their obligations.^[7] However, the implementation of EPR faces significant hurdles. Satish Goyal, President of the Tyre & Rubber Recyclers Association of India (TRRAI), noted that tire producers are reluctant to pay for EPR credits, viewing it as an additional cost.^[4][7] Data from the CPCB shows that tire producers currently pay for less than 1% of the actual recycling costs.^[4] This lack of financial incentive means recyclers struggle to invest in environmentally safe technologies and operate sustainably.^[4] Furthermore, the ban on importing waste tires for pyrolysis has a critical flaw: it did not establish a robust mechanism to monitor the illegal flow of imported waste tires.^[7] The loophole of importing under the general "rubber scrap" Harmonised System (HS) Code allows the trade to continue unchecked.^[7] ### Calls for Stricter Action Environmental activists and industry bodies are calling for stronger action. Activist Shubhash C Pandey, who tracks environmental violations in Madhya Pradesh, stated, "We are paying to import pollution."^[7] He added that India has "paid crores to over 50 countries to bring their trash to our doorstep. Meanwhile, our people choke, our lands die, and our water turns black."^[7] Anshuman Singhania, Chairman of India's Automotive Tyre Manufacturers' Association (ATMA), voiced concerns over the massive volume of imported scrap tires.^[6] The ATMA has urged the government to ban the import of waste tires entirely.^[7] Experts suggest that the government needs to support and subsidize green technologies for tire recycling, similar to practices in some Western countries.^[12] Efforts are underway to develop more sustainable solutions. Home Zone Rubber Solutions in Gujarat, for example, processes over half a million scrap tires annually using advanced Danish technology to reclaim crumb rubber granules.^[13] Jitendra Agarwal, Managing Director of Home Zone, is also launching "Re-Tyre Bazar," India's first organized scrap tire collection network, to consolidate the domestic supply chain and reduce the need for imports.^[13] Agarwal believes that an organized domestic chain could largely eliminate the need for imported scrap tires.^[13] The unchecked import and environmentally harmful processing of waste tires continue to pose a significant threat to India's environment and the health of its citizens. Without stricter enforcement, comprehensive monitoring, and greater financial responsibility from producers, the "black wind" of toxic emissions from waste tire pyrolysis will continue to spread across the nation.

AI Insights Hub