Ontario’s tire recycling network is again showing signs of strain, and industry groups are now publicly warning that the system could begin to break down if the province does not intervene.
In an open letter circulated to tire haulers and processors, the Ontario Tire Dealers Association says recycling volumes are tightening across the province as some processors reduce the number of tires they can accept.
“Over the past several days, we have again received reports from across Ontario indicating that inbound tire quotas at some processing facilities are being reduced,” wrote Adam Moffatt, executive director of the Ontario Tire Dealers Association. “In response, some processors have had to limit or temporarily suspend deliveries from haulers as PRO networks again adjust their systems.”
The association said the restrictions are coming at a difficult time for the industry.
“These latest challenges are occurring at a time when many haulers and processors are already facing reduced or capped volumes and ongoing market uncertainty, just weeks before the expected spring tire changeover season,” the letter states.
Ontario’s tire recycling system operates under an individual producer responsibility model introduced in 2019. Tire producers must ensure the tires they sell in the province are collected and recycled at end of life, typically by contracting with producer responsibility organizations that manage networks of collectors, haulers and processors.
The OTDA letter stresses that those service providers are a critical part of the system. “A stable and functional recycling network depends on every link in the chain, from collection through to processing,” Moffatt wrote.
While the association is best known for representing tire retailers and collection sites, the letter emphasized that haulers and processors are also part of the industry it advocates for.
“Service providers — those with trucks on the road, employees in the field and investments in operations — are a critical part of the network and must also be heard.”
According to the association, it has been raising concerns with regulators for months about operational challenges affecting the system.
“For several months, the OTDA has raised concerns with the government and regulators regarding the operational challenges being experienced throughout the system,” the letter states. “Unfortunately, there has been limited guidance or timely action to address these issues or ensure stability within Ontario’s tire recycling framework.”
The association is encouraging affected businesses to contact provincial regulators directly, including the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority, which oversees compliance with Ontario’s recycling regulations.
“If your business is experiencing operational, financial or staffing impacts as a result of processing restrictions, quota changes or other challenges within the tire recycling system, we encourage you to share that information,” the letter says.
Automotive recyclers are also raising alarms about the situation. In a social media post, Wally Dingman, executive director of the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association and the Automotive Recyclers of Canada, said the problems now appearing across the system could quickly escalate without action from the provincial government.
“The tire recycling system in Ontario is on the verge of collapse,” Dingman wrote in a recent public post calling on industry members to contact the government.
Dingman warned that disruptions in tire collection and processing can ripple quickly across the sector.
“When tire collection stalls, it creates a domino effect,” he wrote. “Tires begin to pile up at shops, yards and municipal depots, increasing the risk of illegal dumping and placing additional pressure on municipalities and recyclers.”
The OTDA letter framed the issue as a broader concern about the stability of Ontario’s recycling infrastructure.
“The goal shared by service providers across the industry is a system that works for everyone,” the letter states. “One that ensures tires are collected from Ontario businesses and communities while also supporting a stable recycling network where the companies responsible for collecting, transporting and processing tires can continue to operate and invest in the future.”
Both organizations say the issue needs attention now, before the busy seasonal tire changeover begins.
“Ontario’s tire recycling system must be protected,” the letter concludes.
