Valorpneu has introduced Ecovalor fees for retreaded tyres placed on the Portuguese market after new legislation required the organisation to change how environmental charges are applied
The move follows Portaria n.º 150/2024/1, announced on 8 April 2024, which made the differentiation of ecofees mandatory across waste systems, while effectively recognising retreaded tyres as a product newly placed on the market, meaning they now fall under an EPR fee.
The new Ecovalor fees came into force on 1 January 2026. Retreaded tyres are charged 10% less compared to standard tyres in each category. For example, passenger tyres have an Ecovalor fee of €1.48 per unit, while it’s €1.34 for retreaded tyres. These fees fund the national systems for collecting and treating end-of-life tyres operated by Valorpneu.
The organisation also announced updated Ecovalor fees for new tyres placed on the Portuguese market. At the same time, Valorpneu reminded producers and retreaders that the Ecovalor fee must be clearly itemised as a separate line on invoices, in line with national waste management rules.
Portuguese waste legislation allowed systems to differentiate fees according to environmental impact and waste management costs. Valorpneu used this flexibility to encourage tyre retreading by applying a 100% bonus, exempting retreaded tyres from the fee.
Climénia Silva, the Director General of Valorpneu, said that the exemption had been introduced voluntarily by the organisation. “Tyres retreaded in Portugal and placed on the Portuguese market were exempt from ecofee until 31 December 2025, thanks to an initiative by Valorpneu,” he explained.
However, the 2024 government decree forced Valorpneu to apply an ecofee to retreaded tyres. According to Silva, the organisation opposed the measure. “Valorpneu immediately protested against what was established in this legal decree and proposed an amendment to reinstate the practice that had been followed for the past six years.” So far, the government has not accepted those proposals.
The change raises concerns within the retreading sector because the Ecovalor fee is normally paid when a tyre enters the market for the first time as a new product. Since retreaded tyres reuse an existing casing, the original tyre would already have paid the EPR fee. Charging the fee again when a tyre is retreaded could undermine this circular economy practice in the tyre industry by increasing the costs for retreaders.
Valorpneu has also warned that this change has “created a setback in relation to the strategic objectives of the circular economy”
