Tire Disposal and Recycling Law, 2007

The Tire Disposal and Recycling Law, enacted on January 23, 2007, aims to reduce the environmental nuisances caused by improper tire disposal in Israel while promoting waste tire recycling.

According to the law, tire producers and importers will be responsible for the disposal and recycling of used tires at the following graduated rates each year:

• Disposal or recycling of at least 50% of the tires until June 30, 2009.
   
• Disposal or recycling of at least 70% of the tires until June 30, 2011.
   
• Recycling of at least 50% and disposal of up to 35% of the tires until June 30, 2012.
   
• Recycling of at least 85% of the tires, as of July 1, 2012.

After July 2013, producers and importers will be obligated to recycle all of the collected tires and will be prohibited from disposing tires, in any form, in any waste disposal site.

The law also requires owners of tire sale, repair and storage businesses to remove used tires from the site and transfer them to approved uses under the law. These include producers or importers, tire storage warehouses or recycling or retreading establishments. Furthermore, the law imposes storage obligations on such businesses to prevent the accumulation of water in the tires and the subsequent creation of environmental nuisances. The law also relates to reporting obligations and to the appointment of inspectors for enforcement purposes.

The law is based on the principle of "producer responsibility" which places responsibility for the environmental impact of a product on the producer or importer of the product. The rationale behind this principle is that the producer or importer should be responsible for the entire life cycle of a product from cradle to grave.