Millions of tyres collected for recycling, well over 5,000 registered partners, over 34,500 processed into tyre derived products and fuel – the second annual report from Tyrewise tells the story of a sustainability step change.
The report, released 21 October 2026, is the first to encapsulate a full 12-months of collections and gives a clear picture of a regulated product stewardship scheme for end-of-life tyres which has already become business as usual for the whole tyre industry.
“Seven months of collections gave us our first annual report. Twelve more have given us something better: a full year of real data on how end-of-life tyres move around Aotearoa, and the feedback of the people who move them,” says Adele Rose, Chief Executive of Tyrewise Scheme Managers 3R Group.
The scheme was designed to be data-rich, tracking everything from how many tyres enter the country, to how many are collected when they reach their end of life, and what happens to them. This includes a host of other valuable information to make the scheme more efficient and sustainable – both economically and environmentally.
“For example, when conflict in the Middle East pushed fuel prices up sharply, the data let us analyse the real effect on transporters’ costs and respond with evidence rather than guesswork,” Adele says.
The numbers speak volumes
At the end of this annual report period this year Tyrewise had collected over 65,700 tonnes, equivalent to some 8.2 million end-of-life tyres. “Before Tyrewise the majority of those would’ve been lost to landfill, but now they are contributing to a circular economy which is creating value and jobs in New Zealand,” Adele says.
The scheme also increased registered partner locations from 4,624 to 5,444 and public collection sites by 26% compared to the previous annual reporting period. Importantly, a survey found public positivity towards the scheme also grew, from 66% to 77%.
“The survey results in the report matter to us as much as the tonnages. Registered partners told us they understand the scheme, feel confident in their roles and rate their transporters highly. Tyre consumers who know about Tyrewise increasingly understand it, and more of them say they recycle their tyres. Those are the foundations a stewardship scheme is built on,” Adele says.
Moving forward
Mark Gilbert, Chair of Auto Stewardship New Zealand (ASNZ) says the focus of the Board of Trustees shifted this year from the scheme’s network to the market.
ASNZ is the product stewardship organisation and governing body for Tyrewise.
“With the network established, our next task is to build the domestic market for what it collects. In June 2025, Puna Taurima, the Tyrewise Fund, opened for expressions of interest and drew strong interest in its first round,” he says.
A Grants Committee was established, and 33 formal applications were considered. The finalisation of contracts for the successful applications was ongoing at the end of the reporting period, however grants awarded since then can be viewed on the Tyrewise website.
The report makes clear that rubber in roading is a strong focus for the scheme going forward, as it represents the most immediate, high-value pathways to create circular solutions for tyres. An action plan, commissioned from WSP, looks to remove the barriers to market update of 16,000 to 18,000 tonnes of rubber-modified bitumen in the nation’s roads.
The plan forms the backbone of the scheme’s engagement with roading stakeholders and helped shape Puna Taurima. Other areas of work going forward include increasing transport efficiencies, forming a working group on retreading, and a refreshed risk framework built on real-world experience.
“From where we stand, the picture is this: the network runs, the people in it are engaged, and the next stage is about value.”