European retreading association BIPAVER has backed the European Commission’s planned Circular Economy Act and submitted feedback on 5 September. The group supports the Act’s goal to scale secondary raw materials and asks the EU to classify retreadable casings as a raw material rather than waste, to ease movement across borders. The Commission opened consultation on 1 August and will accept feedback until 6 November 2025.
BIPAVER says retreading already delivers circular benefits by reusing original materials and cutting resource extraction, water use and emissions. In its statement, the association said: “BIPAVER supports the EU Commission’s initiative to improve the conditions for implementing the circular economy and making better use of secondary raw materials. Tyre retreading plays a decisive role in reducing waste and implementing the circular economy in the tyre sector.” It added that retreads hold around a 30% share of the European commercial vehicle replacement market.
BIPAVER argues that retreadable casings should be classified as a high-quality raw material, not waste. The change would simplify intra-EU transport and remove barriers created by waste shipment rules, supporting a single market for secondary raw materials.
The association points to long-standing pressure from cheap, generally non-retreadable imports that erode the business case for retreading, particularly in high-wear urban applications. It asks policymakers to back “RE-USE” higher in the recycling hierarchy, including allowing retreaded tyres in public-sector tenders for city buses, refuse fleets and municipal vehicles.
BIPAVER highlights that several EU rules reference the EU tyre label classes for eligibility, yet retreaded tyres currently lack an EU label format. This de-facto excludes many retreads from policies tied to label classes. The group asks that retreads be recognised as an eco-product even without an EU label.
The Commission launched a consultation and call for evidence on 1 August 2025. Feedback is open until 6 November 2025, with adoption targeted for 2026. The proposal aims to create a single market for secondary raw materials, increase supply of quality recycled materials and stimulate demand.
EU market surveillance on tyre labelling has intensified, with specific attention on heavy vehicle and retreaded categories. This trend raises compliance stakes for cross-border trade and procurement frameworks that rely on label classes. - https://www.tyrenews.co.uk/news/eu-ramps-up-tyre-labelling-enforcement-what-it-means-for-uk-wholesalers
UK testing in 2024 found widespread label discrepancies in some new tyres, while a small sample of retreaded tyres met regulatory requirements, underlining the role of type approval and standards in maintaining confidence. - https://www.tyrenews.co.uk/news/dvsas-tyre-testing-uncovers-major-label-discrepancies-and-safety-concerns
See EU ramps up tyre labelling enforcement for context on market surveillance and labelling practice.
Vaculug calls for tyre remanufacturing in policy covers UK policy asks on public procurement and retread uptake.
Tagged with: Circular Economy Act, retreaded tyres, BIPAVER, secondary raw materials, tyre casings, EU consultation, public procurement, tyre labelling, market surveillance, urban fleets, recycling hierarchy, EU policy
Disclaimer: This content may include forward-looking statements. Views expressed are not verified or endorsed by Tyre News Media.
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