T8: mechanically treating end-of-life tyres
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-01)

T8 exemption allows you to treat small amounts of waste end-of-life tyres for recovery by baling, shredding, peeling, shaving or granulating.

There’s a charge for most waste exemptions

This exemption is in band Upper. Read waste exemption charges (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-exemptions-how-to-choose-register-and-pay/waste-exemption-charges) to find out what the charges and charging bands are.

Types of activity you can carry out

These include:
- baling end-of-life tyres to use in construction
- granulating end-of-life tyres to use in horse manége
- re-treading end-of-life tyres so they can be reused as tyres
- granulating end-of-life tyres again where the granulate is too big or needs further processing to comply with PAS 107
Types of activity you cannot carry out

You cannot:
- treat any other types of waste other than end-of-life tyres or shredded/granulated end-of-life tyres
- treat hazardous waste
- sort tyres under this exemption as an associated prior treatment when T8 is registered - see Sorting waste tyres under a T8 waste exemption: LRWP 72 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/low-risk-waste-positions-tyres-rubber-and-plastic)
Types of waste you can treat

The waste codes are those listed in the List of Wastes (LoW) Regulations. You must make sure your waste fits within the relevant waste code and description.

Amount of waste you can treat

You can store or treat 60 tonnes of truck tyres or 40 tonnes of any other tyres over any 7-day period.

Key conditions

You can treat end-of-life tyres under this exemption, by:
- granulating
- baling
- peeling
- shaving
- shredding
- re-treading
You can treat shredded or granulated end-of-life tyres by granulating (you must do this indoors).

You can clean tyres and separate them from wheel rims before further treatment.

Within the 7-day limit, you must store the tyres in piles no bigger than 10 tonnes with a gap as a fire break between each pile.

Other things you need to know

There are two relevant Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) for end-of-life tyres:

PAS 108 standard – specification for production of tyre bales for use in construction (http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/pas-108-specification-production-tyre-bales-use-construction)

PAS 107 standard – specification for the manufacture and storage of size reduced tyre materials (http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/MiniPAS107%20approved%2025april07.pdf)

There is a waste quality protocol (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/quality-protocols-end-of-waste-frameworks-for-waste-derived-products) for the use of waste derived rubber materials produced under PAS 107 waste quality protocols (https://tyrerecovery.org.uk/specification/).

If you recover waste materials and sell them as products (recycled materials) rather than waste, you must comply with the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Regulations (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/2852/contents/made)

Related exemptions

You can use end-of-life tyres that have been baled to PAS 108 standard under U2 – Using baled end-of-life tyres in construction (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-exemption-u2-use-of-baled-end-of-life-tyres-in-construction).

You can use granulated end-of-life tyres in horse manège under U8 – Using waste for a specified purpose (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-exemption-u8-using-waste-for-a-specified-purpose).

Where it is appropriate, you can use treated end-of-life tyres under U9 – Using waste to manufacture finished goods (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-exemption-u9-using-waste-to-manufacture-finished-goods).

Register a T8 exemption

You need to register this exemption with the Environment Agency if you will meet the requirements.

Register an exemption (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-your-waste-exemptions).

Related permits

If you want to treat more than the amount of waste allowed under this exemption, you must apply for an environmental permit (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-environmental-permits).

Definitions

Hazardous waste – see how to classify different types of waste (https://www.gov.uk/how-to-classify-different-types-of-waste).