The state's first tyre recycling facility was launched in Bridgewater earlier this month, with Barwicks Landscape Supplies striking a deal with Tyrecycle to shred about 300,000 used tyres per year, which will then be shipped to the mainland for processing. 

The new facility will undoubtedly be a welcome addition to the state for Northern Midlands residents concerned about the 1 million-strong used tyre stockpile in Longford.

ATRA executive officer Robbie Kelman said the facility had come just in time, with the owner of the Longford stockpile no longer allowed to collect used tyres from December 20. 

“The Bridgewater facility is a great addition to the landscape in Tasmania, it’s the next step in terms of actually recycling rather than just stockpiling Tasmania's tyres,” Mr Kelman said. 

“ATRA wouldn't oppose another facility setting up if there was a business case - if they had another shredder or crumbing facility to make material that'd be great.”

Mr Kelman said the next step in managing the state’s tyre problem would be to limit the amount of tyres that could be stockpiled at one site and to ban tyres going into landfill sites.

“There's a lot of (retailers) who won’t necessarily care where their tyres go and they're happy for them to go to Longford because it might be cheaper for them to get rid of them.

“The critical thing is making sure that the retailers are obliged to use a recycler rather than just use someone who's going to find another piece of land somewhere and create another stockpile.”

Tasmanian Conservation Trust director Peter McGlone agreed the potentially cheaper option of sending tyres to landfill posed a threat to the success of the new facility.

“In Copping in Tasmania they landfilled something like 50,000 tyres last year,” Mr McGlone said.

“And if landfill operators start offering a lower cost for disposal than Tyrecycle, then you're going to have a real problem with Tyrecycle being able to make a profit.”