A Latvian tyre mountain may be rejected.
A Mountain of Tyres
Owners of an adventure park “Dimantu Kalns” in Ķegums, Latvia, had planned to expand their recreation area by creating a hill of 3,000 square metres – on a base of old tyres.
The local authority was happy with the project and gave it the go-ahead. However, Latvian environmental officials were less keen on the concept.
Whilst operator Peteris Dimants believed that using the tyres was a sound environmental practice, used for many years throughout Europe, the State Environmental Service thought otherwise.
“Would an artificial mountain of tyres actually be recycling, or would it be considered landfilling?“ asked the head of the Latvian Tyre Management Association, Tina Lϋse.
First of all, it must be seen whether the material from which the tyre mountain is to be built is considered to be a secondary raw material within the meaning of the regulatory enactments, which I would very much doubt. If it is simply a mountain of tyres or crushed tyres, it is likely not to meet the requirements that describe the secondary raw material,” said Lūse.
Using baled tyres for civil engineering is a permitted use in some countries. The UK has a protocol for their use. The use of shred for civil engineering has been seen in several European markets.