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- You'll drive in quietly: eco-collection for tires dangerous to the health of Russians will be increased several times
You'll drive in quietly: eco-collection for tires dangerous to the health of Russians will be increased several times
The system of calculating the environmental fee for car tires in Russia will be reviewed from January 1, 2026, Izvestia found out. It is planned that its final rate will depend on the level of carcinogenicity of a particular product, sources in the Cabinet of Ministers said. The Ministry of Industry and Trade confirmed that the draft government decree on this issue has been agreed. As a result, the eco-collection for tires with a high content of hazardous substances will at least double, experts believe. The increase will primarily affect imported tires — 40% of them do not meet the requirements of GOST for the content of carcinogens. The cost of tires that meet environmental requirements will not be affected by the recalculation of the fee. When tires rub off on asphalt, fine rubber dust forms, which is dangerous to the environment and human health, experts recalled. Carcinogens can lead to the development of cancer, among other things.
How will the eco-collection be calculated?
A new system for calculating the environmental fee for car tires is planned to be introduced in Russia as early as January 1, 2026, government sources told Izvestia. Another component will be added to the methodology for calculating the base rate — the level of carcinogenic safety of the materials from which the tires are made.
If certain environmentally hazardous compounds are used in production, one of the coefficients by which the eco-collection is calculated will increase from 0 to 17. If there are no such materials in the tires, then it will remain zero.
The press service of the Ministry of Industry and Trade confirmed to Izvestia that such changes are being prepared. They reported that the agency had agreed on a draft government decree on revising the calculation of the base rate of the environmental fee. It will apply to tires and tires for passenger cars, motorcycles, mopeds, ATVs, buses, trolleybuses and trucks.
"The eco-collection rate will increase for market participants who sell carcinogenically dangerous tires. There is a clear definition of the carcinogenic safety of tires in GOST R 51893-2024 "Pneumatic tires", which entered into force in September 2025," they said.
Compliance with the established criteria for carcinogenic safety is confirmed on the basis of tire tests conducted by accredited laboratories.
"The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia expects that the increase in the environmental fee will not affect responsible domestic producers. The introduction of an increased environmental fee for carcinogenically dangerous tires will reduce the volume of such products on the market - such a measure will become relevant as part of the government's work to increase the life expectancy of the population," the ministry stressed.
In the accompanying documents to the draft government decree, with reference to research data from an independent testing center, it is noted: currently, only 11% of domestic tires do not meet the requirements of the new GOST in terms of carcinogenicity, but among imported tires this level is 40%. The new eco-collection rates will apply to them.
What are the dangers of tires with carcinogens?
When tires rub off on asphalt, fine rubber dust forms, which is dangerous to the environment and human health, Valentina Belousova, a chemical technologist and environmentalist, told Izvestia.
— It gets into the soil, water, "hangs" in the air, — the expert noted. — This dust is especially dangerous if the tires contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) — many of them are carcinogens and pose a serious danger to human health.
Thus, studies of the air in Moscow have shown that tire rubber, which has been ground into fine dust, has become its main pollutant — its share among all harmful substances reaches 60%. For example, passenger cars and small commercial vehicles leave 0.051 g of such microplastics per kilometer, which is five times higher than international emission limits.
Now significant excess concentrations of PAHs are recorded along roads in the soil and air, the head of the Testing and Analytical Center of the UNN told Izvestia. Lobachevsky Elena Boyko.
— Carcinogens act on the reproductive organs, cause the development of cancerous tumors, negatively affect the lungs, stomach and other organs. They are also harmful to the environment — the top layer of the soil, where carcinogens accumulate and quickly penetrate into plants, cannot be restored. In such soil, everything that has already grown is gradually dying," she explained.
Yulia Frank, director of the Center for the Study of Microplastics in the Environment at Tomsk State University, added that such microplastics enter rivers, lakes and seas with wastewater, and can also be transported by wind even to remote areas.
— Exploring the Ob River basin, we came to the conclusion that microfragments of automobile tires make a significant contribution to environmental pollution, — she said. — Their presence in the snow cover is especially noticeable. Biologists have collected three snow samples in 22 zones located along the megaproject from the Arctic to the Altai Mountains. In the snow samples taken at eight sites, microfragments of tires predominated among the pollutants.
And in cities with millions of inhabitants, in particular in Novosibirsk and Omsk, as a result of tire abrasion, up to 95% of all polymer microparticles can enter the air, Yulia Frank said.
Tire wear has become the largest direct source of microplastics (up to 50%) in the Baltic Sea, according to the materials of the Helsinki Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea (HELCOM).
How will the eco-collection calculations be conducted?
The new eco-collection calculation system for tires is designed to remedy the situation through an economic mechanism: if a manufacturer cannot confirm the safety of its products, its costs will increase significantly, explained Alexey Ivanov, owner of the Alliance Trucks commercial vehicle dealership network.
In 2025, the environmental fee per ton of tires is about 185 thousand rubles (the base rate of 10.3 thousand is multiplied by the recycling complexity factor of 18). From 2026, the base rate will increase to 11.1 thousand, and an additional increasing coefficient will be added for tires without a safety certificate.
— As a result, the eco—collection per ton of "non—certified" tires can reach 389 thousand rubles, which is more than a twofold increase, — the expert emphasized. - For the importer, the difference will be about 200 thousand rubles per ton of tires.
If we take a standard kit for a passenger car weighing about 35 kg, then in 2026, for tires with a safety certificate, the eco-collection will amount to about 3.3 thousand rubles. For the same set of tires without a certificate, it is already about 6.6 thousand rubles, Alexey Ivanov cited calculations. For crossovers and SUVs, where the kit is heavier (50-60 kg), the difference will increase to 5-5.5 thousand rubles.
— But this does not necessarily mean that all tires will rise in price by this amount, — the expert explained. — Manufacturers and importers who are currently producing safe products will be able to promptly obtain GOST R 51893-2024 certificates and will not face increased costs. But those who work with cheap Asian tires of questionable quality will either leave the market or be forced to raise prices. In fact, the government is creating a mechanism that makes it unprofitable to sell potentially dangerous rubber in Russia.
The measures introduced fit into the general logic of extended producer responsibility, which the government has been consistently building up in recent years.
"The system works simply: either you ensure safety and recycling of waste, or you pay significantly more," the expert explained. "For domestic manufacturers, this is an impetus to modernize technologies and improve product quality. It is a signal for importers to take a more careful approach to choosing suppliers. In the end, Russian consumers, who will receive safer products, and the ecology of the country as a whole benefit.
How is the tire industry developing in Russia
The fact that 89% of domestic tires meet the requirements for the level of carcinogenicity once again confirms that the tire industry is one of the most modern and high-tech in the country, experts believe.
The main cluster with a capacity of more than 40 million units per year was formed in the 2000s and 2010s, when the world's largest tire brands built the most modern enterprises in the country. It was during this period that Michelin, Nokian Tyres, Pirelli, Yokohama, Continental and Bridgestone platforms were launched in Russia.
Along with foreign brands, domestic manufacturers developed and expanded production during these years: Nizhnekamskshina, Cordiant, Altai Tire Factory.
In 2021, tire production in Russia reached a peak: almost 66 million units of all types were produced in total, with 40% (25 million) of them exported to more than 40 countries around the world.
In 2022, tire production in the Russian Federation faced serious changes related to the departure of a number of foreign brands and the introduction of European and American sanctions on tire exports from Russia. Both production and export volumes decreased.
However, despite significant difficulties, tire production can not only be maintained, but also developed, Mikhail Yurin, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, explained to Izvestia.
Pirelli and Yokohama companies have not left the Russian market, they have fully retained their capacities and are increasing production volumes. Titan International Inc. also maintains an active presence in Russia. The country's largest tire factory, formerly owned by Nokian Tyres, is now part of Tatneft's assets.
Mikhail Yurin called the former Continental and Bridgestone plants in Kaluga and Ulyanovsk, which became part of the Cordiant tire holding, an example of resilience in the face of sanctions.
According to the deputy minister, of the sites owned by foreign brands, only the Michelin plant is still in relative uncertainty.: The areas of tire pinching and repair are developing there, and new tire models are under development.
In terms of providing raw materials, Russian sites of foreign brands had previously relied mainly on the Russian base, importing only individual components, the deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade recalled. According to him, some of them have been replaced by imports, while the rest are being imported. As a result, domestic manufacturers are ready to cover the basic needs of the market.
Why do we need a review of the eco-collection?
There is certainly a logic for differentiating the size of the eco-collection depending on the level of carcinogenicity of the tire, says Igor Morzharetto, a member of the Presidium of the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. This measure should primarily protect the interests of Russian tire manufacturers, as almost all of their products meet the new requirements. However, a careful and balanced approach is needed, taking into account other factors, the expert believes.
— We see examples of what following the "green agenda" leads to without looking back: the EU wanted to ban the production of cars with internal combustion engines by 2035, switching to electric vehicles. This led to serious problems in the European automotive industry, and as a result, this proposal was abandoned. When differentiating the eco-collection for tires, it is necessary to take into account economic factors, harsh climatic conditions, in which a more "carcinogenic" one may work better. The issue is not only environmental safety, but also road safety," Igor Morzharetto said.
Nikolay Khodov, General Director of the management company of the biochemical holding Orghim, recalled that current tire recycling technologies involve obtaining crumbs from it for covering both sports facilities and playgrounds, where contact between children and adults with the coating is possible. Naturally, the use of carcinogenic tires in such areas is unacceptable, the expert stressed.
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