New Zealand’s Tyrewise has started its operations with the tyre industry from importers to recyclers now having to register with Tyrewise

However, as with any new scheme to manage large volumes of material, there are going to be questions.

Tyrewise has pointed out that tyres currently on sale will not have had a stewardship fee paid on them, so until Tyrewise-funded collections begin, operators should follow their existing solutions and must not stockpile tyres until the 1st of September when the funded collections begin.

Tyrewise is also getting reports from some participants and the public about instances of the tyre stewardship fee being charged inconsistently on loose tyres. Tyrewise is tackling this in a number of ways:

* All importers should be following the tariff item guidance published by NZ Customs.

* To clear up any uncertainty, Tyrewise can now apply for tariff item rulings from NZ Customs. This means they can be published publicly for all importers to follow.

* If an industry member observes/believes that a competitor is misclassifying tyres under the incorrect tariff item for competitive advantage, they can email feedback@customs.govt.nz with the subject line ‘industry complaint’.

* Remember no one can charge a markup on the tyre stewardship fee, you can only charge what you were charged. If you think someone is charging a mark-up, please contact Tyrewise.

* If any retailer wishes to discount the Tyre Stewardship Fee, they must first of all, show the fee in full on the invoice, and then the amount it is being discounted by – it cannot be shown as $0 or not included.