South Africa is generating an estimated 70 000 waste tyres every single day, with experts saying the country is losing the ability to manage the excess.

The non-profit Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA) has warned that the situation is reaching a critical point.

According to the NPC, tyre depots across the country are dangerously overfull and pose serious environmental and public health risks.

The warning follows a recent visit by Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts to a waste tyre depot in Rustenburg.

REDISA argues the site does not reflect the broader crisis and points instead to severely overburdened depots in several provinces.

One of the starkest examples is the Biesiesvlei depot in Lichtenburg, North-West, which caught fire in 2023 and caused extensive environmental damage. According to REDISA, tyre fires release some of the most toxic air pollution possible, with long-term consequences for surrounding communities.

Storing vs recycling

Despite these risks, the focus has shifted to storing tyres rather than recycling them.

With depots already full, the DFFE has issued tenders for 32 additional waste tyre depots, covering about one-million square metres.

REDISA also points to troubling financial red flags. The DFFE reportedly underspent its tyre transport budget because depots lacked space to receive more waste.

At the same time, equipment worth around R100 million – intended to process the waste and generate revenue – is now set to be auctioned off unused.

Tyres burned for warmth

Overfilled tyre depots have led to trucks being turned away, fuelling illegal dumping along roads and in riverbeds. In some communities, discarded tyres are burned for warmth, exposing residents to toxic smoke and carcinogens that can contaminate groundwater.

The crisis also represents a lost economic opportunity. REDISA says South Africa once ran a globally respected tyre management system that created thousands of jobs and supported small waste-collection businesses.

That system has since been dismantled, leaving many former collectors unemployed and excluded from the current model.

Experts warn that without urgent intervention focused on proper recycling, the backlog will continue to grow.